This isn't a video game

Our friend Hubris Sonic has real world experience in things like covert ops. One of the things Special Forces plays down is the fact that their teams often work out of uniform in places we aren't at war with.

Dispelling Myths
Submitted by Hubris Sonic on Sun, 2005/12/18 - 19:17.

Myth # 1, A terrorist knows where a nuclear bomb is hidden Gotham city and we have 24 hours to blah, blah, blah.

First, lets stop basing our counter terrorism and interdiction technique and national security strategy on a TV show. Its stupid, infantile, and it really annoys the professionals. We are not fighting Hans Stavros Blofeld and his white kitty cat here. These people have no problem dying for the cause. Why would the jihadi set a timer on the bomb?

As soon as it got even close to the city they would detonate. If they did set a timer it would be for an hour or two, at the most. What are you going to do fly James Bond in so he can defuse it with 0:07 seconds left? You dont think they would make sure the bomb goes off no matter what? You really think that people can just cut the blue wire and the bomb wont go off? Why people dont laugh at Joe Lieberman et al. when they say this stuff on TV is beyond me. We are not in a movie. We are not playing a video game, and we are not in the TV show 24. This is not how serious national security issues are handled.

Myth # 2, We have to monitor terrorist cells in the U.S. to stop them from planting a bomb in yada yada yada.

A. Do you know what tradecraft is? Its what you train operatives in before they start a covert mission, wait, not train, beat into their skulls over and over again relentlessly. You never talk on a phone or even in public in "the clear" meaning you always talk in code, always. And not movie code talk like "my umbrella is red". I mean you talk about your computer, for instance,

:How is that computer problem you are having?
:Not good, i had to reinstall Adobe Photoshop last thursday.
:That sucks.
:Its working now, I should be finished Sunday.
:Great.

Translation: Send me more explosive on friday and i will have the weapon ready on next monday.

This is BASIC tradecraft, basic. No terrorist cell in the U.S. are ever going to talk in the clear on their phones, or in public. These people come from Saudi Arabia, you think they trust that their cell phones are listened to? Did the 9/11 terrorists ever talk about the mission, even in Arabic? No. Not even on the day before.

B. So why is it a secret that Bush wants to tap peoples computers and phones without a warrant, and its NOT a secret that we tap peoples phones and computers WITH a warrant. Well, the only reason i can think it is that Bush is breaking the law.

I wonder, have they been listening to the Federal Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's conversations with his investigators about Bush adminstration indictments?

Anyway, there is no reason to do this. Maybe the terrorists will slip up and say something in the clear. So... get a warrant, according to recent Freedom of information requests the judges have only denied 4 tap requests over that last 25 years., yes thats right 4 in a quarter century.

Myth # 3 We need techniques like waterboarding and sleep deprivation to get information.

Torture doesnt work. And if you think waterboarding and sleep deprivation arent torture, ask John McCain, or Former Ambassador Pete Peterson, residents of the Hanoi Hilton where those techniques where perfected. The DOD has been teaching that torture doesnt work for 30+ years, as has even the School of the Americas, its what I was taught in Special Forces training. Not only doesnt it work, but it hampers your other intelligence gathering techniques. No one is willing to come in and volunteer information because they are afraid of you. We have historical fact and precedent to base this on.

posted by Steve @ 12:35:00 AM