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THREAD My comments on the Project Raven story. It's a project that many of us former IC knew about and was quite a dirty little unknown. Most of us that I speak to frowned upon it. reuters.com/investigates/s… by @Bing_Chris @joel_schectman via @Reuters
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters If you're smart enough to be in @NSAGov you're generally smart enough to know how the world works. Any amount of knowledge of the Middle East or UAE would have told you this. Even a cursory Google search on UAE government will turn up human rights abuses. 
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov A government engaged in such abuses: what do you think they do with their intelligence operations?! National intelligence supports strategic national priorities. The UAE's position is not secret or hidden and clearly that's what you'd be doing.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov Why do you think you're being recruited? It's to use the skills and knowledge of the great intelligence apparatus in human history to support a regime with massive ambition.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov Say it isn't so?! A foreign intelligence service is targeting US assets and citizens?! NO WAY! I mean, even if you were ignorant of the fact before joining NSA - you wouldn't be after the n-th counter-intelligence briefing.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov My God. It's almost like standard intelligence asset recruiting - find people who know what is going on, pay them to give it to you, win! THESE PEOPLE WERE INTELLIGENCE ASSETS FOR A FOREIGN POWER
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov Yup. That's how intelligence works - with compartments to hide and protect more sensitive details. But, as anyone with knowledge of intelligence agencies - this wouldn't have been a stretch to guess what was going on.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov Yup. If you hack into a US network or device (like an iPhone) you are breaking US Law - it doesn't matter from where you do it. As a US citizen you would be well within US jurisdiction to prosecute.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov This is not unusual. Post a decade within the tightly enclosed walls of USIC this would be comforting. Most ppl post-IC are scared of engaging with foreign nationals or with any public-facing work.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov HAHAHA 😂 Project DREAD. What a horrible name for a project. Like, want to know who the baddies are? People who give themselves project names like DREAD.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov FUCK THIS. No matter your job never give up your humanity. This is how human rights abuses happen. This is text book. Always keep your empathy.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov You did this. This is what it means to work for an intelligence agency. You have to own their successes and abuses.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov If you consider rules and procedures to protect democracy "red tape" you have massive problems.
@Bing_Chris @joel_schectman @Reuters @NSAGov OF COURSE THEY SHOULDN'T - but, you put your job and money above all of that for years. Get this: being an intelligence officer comes with responsibility. You did this. You are a bad one.
