Top Secret America! Washington Post Just released

WOW, I couldn't find this posted! For the first time, MSM "Washington Post" just released it's news article on Top Secret America, two years in making , this is more then just a news article it is a dedicated team investigation the transition of America after 911!

Never saw the day coming, when this type of information becomes public through a MSM, it should tell you something is coming down the pipe! Makes you wonder why "some" wanted 911 to happen so bad... or yet another proof (reasons) this was an inside job!

Washington knew this news would come on days before it was announced, they released some documents trying to counter what this massive conspiracy will be (see my reply to thread below)

Visit the website, it is interactive and full of information. I'll post a few interesting quotes.
projects.washingtonpost.com...

Front line Video* MUST WATCH
projects.washingtonpost.com...

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

These are some of the findings of a two-year investigation by The Washington Post that discovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine.

The investigation's other findings include:

* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.

* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.

* In Washington and the surrounding area, 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001. Together they occupy the equivalent of almost three Pentagons or 22 U.S. Capitol buildings - about 17 million square feet of space.

* Many security and intelligence agencies do the same work, creating redundancy and waste. For example, 51 federal organizations and military commands, operating in 15 U.S. cities, track the flow of money to and from terrorist networks.

* Analysts who make sense of documents and conversations obtained by foreign and domestic spying share their judgment by publishing 50,000 intelligence reports each year - a volume so large that many are routinely ignored.

- Five page article (headlines above)
- Full interactive map displaying Government and Organizations related to Top Secret America; (2,164 Government location; 6,944 Company locations)
- MASSIVE interactive connection page, showing how they all interconnected
- MASSIVE Search engine to FIND pretty much anything you want on these companies


MOD:

- Please feel free to remove this thread if it's already posted, I couldn't find it!
- Secondly, please move this to "breaking news" I realized I was in the wrong category after I posted, I don't want to duplicate this thread, THANK YOU!


[edit on 19-7-2010 by freighttrain]

[edit on 19-7-2010 by freighttrain]

[edit on 19-7-2010 by freighttrain]

reply to post by freighttrain


Ya I am watching the news now on it now on the ED SHOW! HAHA...funny that many people have top secret clearance... things can get intresting in the next 20 years... Thats going to make for alot of whistle blowers all with the same knowledge!! The skeptics wont be able to deny things anymore once this batch starts to spew!! LOL

This is HUGE, already there has been contrivance debates on how such MSM released these so called sensitive materials, for one I'm happy to see this. For the first time, I've seen a major MSM release so massive load of "conspiracy" that it claims to be fact based on many sources. I'm sure all other MSM feeling left out and want a piece of a pie, so get ready for a disclosure!

Click their BLOG link, up to date reactions being captured;

A MESSAGE FROM THE MISSION SUPPORT CENTER

Early next week, the Washington Post is expected to publish articles and an interactive website that will likely contain a compendium of government agencies and contractors allegedly conducting Top Secret work. The website is expected to enable users to see the relationships between the federal government and its contractors, describe the type of work the contractors perform, and may identify many government and contractor facility locations.

Publication is expected starting July 19, 2010 with additional articles published thereafter. We request that all ODNI contractors remind all cleared employees of their responsibility to protect classified information and relationships, and to abide by contractual agreements regarding non-publicity. Employees should be reminded that they must neither confirm nor deny information contained in this, or any, media publication, and that the publication of this website does not constitute a change in any current ODNI classifications. They should also be reminded that if approached and asked to discuss their work by media or unauthorized people, they should report the interactions to their appropriate security officer.

www.redstate.com...

Washington reacts to 'Top Secret America' revelations

Acting Director of National Intelligence David C. Gompert issued a statement Monday morning (PDF) reacting to The Washington Post series "Top Secret America," by Dana Priest and William M. Arkin.

"The reporting does not reflect the Intelligence Community we know," he said.

"We accept that we operate in an environment that limits the amount of information we can share," he said. "However, the fact is, the men and women of the Intelligence Community have improved our operations, thwarted attacks, and are achieving untold successes every day.

"In recent years, we have reformed the IC in ways that have improved the quality, quantity, regularity, and speed of our support to policymakers, warfighters, and homeland defenders, and we will continue our reform efforts. We provide oversight, while also encouraging initiative. We work constantly to reduce inefficiencies and redundancies, while preserving a degree of intentional overlap among agencies to strengthen analysis, challenge conventional thinking, and eliminate single points of failure. We are mindful of the size of our contractor ranks, but greatly value the critical flexibility and specialized skills they contribute to our mission.

"The challenges that lie ahead are difficult and complex. We will continue to scrutinize our own operations, seek ways to improve and adapt, and work with Congress on its crucial oversight and reform efforts. We can always do better, and we will. And the importance of our mission and our commitment to keeping America safe will remain steadfast, whether they are reflected in the day's news or not."

The can of worms is being opened! Already Office of the Director of National Intelligence released it's response directly to this project;

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY POST 9/11
www.dni.gov...

Myth vs. Reality
www.dni.gov...

[edit on 19-7-2010 by freighttrain]

Mod Edit: External Source Tags – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 19/7/2010 by Mirthful Me]

Originally posted by freighttrain
MOD:

- Please feel free to remove this thread if it's already posted, I couldn't find it!
- Secondly, please move this to "breaking news" I realized I was in the wrong category after I posted, I don't want to duplicate this thread, THANK YOU!

Too many BAN threads as it is:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Mirthful Me


No worries, I'll get on one the threads with most flags. It's hard finding same articles with different headlines Big news is BIG!

[edit on 19-7-2010 by freighttrain]

reply to post by freighttrain


Even if this story is all over ATS it's worth repeating.

S&F.

I just saw this posted on Yahoo, by Washington Post. A two year investigation! Perhaps there may be a little real journalism left after all.
854,000 Top Secret Clearances? How the hell can anything that needs to be secret be safe from our enemies? That is amazing. I cannot begin to imagine the cost. Let's see, those 854.000 employees alone, let's say make 100K annual on average (probably way way more) that would be 85,400,000,000 if my math is right? Eighty Five billion estimated salary just for those guys? Holy Crap! That's our money folks! I know that's just a wild guess but can't be too far off. Great Story. S&F

So, this article links to a map that is supposed to give info about specific locations, but i cant find squat for the location near where i reside part time...

map: projects.washingtonpost.com...


can anyone throw me a bone?

www.mountainx.com...

So, this article links to a map that is supposed to give info about specific locations, but i cant find squat for the location near where i reside part time...

map: projects.washingtonpost.com...


can anyone throw me a bone?

www.mountainx.com...

From Wikileaks

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:57:56 wikileaks: Real change begins Monday in the WashPost. By the years end, a reformation. Lights on. Rats out

And from
www.salon.com.../opinion/greenwald/2010/07/19/secrecy

And so the tide begins to turn. No wonder Obadman has been seeking legisation to shut down the internet. Something tells me he can't stop the infmation dam from bursting, as I believe it is starting to do.

I am hoping that this will encourage other media organisations to defy their masters too.

Come on MSM. What are they going to do, fire you all if you all start speaking out together?

Time for more, organised, collective Counter-Action.

This is just what we need. Well done Washington Post.

Originally posted by texas thinker
854,000 Top Secret Clearances? How the hell can anything that needs to be secret be safe from our enemies? That is amazing. I cannot begin to imagine the cost. Let's see, those 854.000 employees alone, let's say make 100K annual on average (probably way way more) that would be 85,400,000,000 if my math is right?

You're way wrong on this assumption you have made. I work for the DoD and have a clearance as well. That number stated is probably correct, however, lets try not to get a running start before we jump to conclusions on this.

First, the assumption that "if you have a top secret clearance then you're in meetings all day being briefed on all the government secrets." This is wrong, wrong, wrong. Typically it's the building itself that has the security clearance. For instance, the location I work in has a security clearance. Now, every person that enters that building needs to have a security clearance that equals, or exceeds the clearance of the site. This means, receptionists, janitors, cooks, interns etc. They ALL, need the clearance. Add to that, if you're a government contractor (which most are) then their home office needs a clearance as well, which further adds to this number. So now all of the receptionists, administrative assistants, accountants etc. in that office needs it as well. So as you can see, the number of 845,000 people is bloated, but most of all, it's misleading because over 90% of those people need the clearance just to walk in the door to get to work, it DOES NOT mean that they are exposed to secret/top secret information.

And by the way, most of those people don't make anywhere near 100k.

Originally posted by texas thinker

854,000 Top Secret Clearances? How the hell can anything that needs to be secret be safe from our enemies?


Your're right - it can't possible be.....unless, of course, you look at it from the alternative reality view point.

In that scenario, there are no real external enemies, or terrorists, they are all just so many actors playing fake parts to dupe the public. In reality they are all working together - all the Nazionists. Their real enemy is the people. In fact the Government declared war on the people on 9/11.

So - the numbers make more sense to me in that scenario. This huge security apparatus, as in any totalitarian state, is in place to facilitate and ensure the total suppression of the masses.

In any totalitarian state the 'Security Apparat' is of paramount importance, because suppression and intimidation are the only way totalitarian dictatorship type government can be sustained.

Apologies for previous post. I used the 'quote' button, but can't work out how to type under the quote without it appearing as part of the quote.

Would really appreciate help on that from those that know!

Thanks

This is one of the reasons why we need a real impartial investigation!

Why did the intelligence agencies and NORAD let the attacks happen, and who gave the order?

Hurray for Washington Post!

Originally posted by wcitizen
And so the tide begins to turn. No wonder Obadman has been seeking legisation to shut down the internet. Something tells me he can't stop the infmation dam from bursting, as I believe it is starting to do.

I am hoping that this will encourage other media organisations to defy their masters too.

Come on MSM. What are they going to do, fire you all if you all start speaking out together?

Time for more, organised, collective Counter-Action.

This is just what we need. Well done Washington Post.

I'm reminded of this gem...

But I do ask every publisher, every editor, and every newsman in the nation to reexamine his own standards, and to recognize the nature of our country's peril. In time of war, the government and the press have customarily joined in an effort based largely on self-discipline, to prevent unauthorized disclosures to the enemy. In time of "clear and present danger," the courts have held that even the privileged rights of the First Amendment must yield to the public's need for national security.

Today no war has been declared--and however fierce the struggle may be, it may never be declared in the traditional fashion. Our way of life is under attack. Those who make themselves our enemy are advancing around the globe. The survival of our friends is in danger. And yet no war has been declared, no borders have been crossed by marching troops, no missiles have been fired.

If the press is awaiting a declaration of war before it imposes the self-discipline of combat conditions, then I can only say that no war ever posed a greater threat to our security. If you are awaiting a finding of "clear and present danger," then I can only say that the danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent.

It requires a change in outlook, a change in tactics, a change in missions--by the government, by the people, by every businessman or labor leader, and by every newspaper. For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match.

Nevertheless, every democracy recognizes the necessary restraints of national security--and the question remains whether those restraints need to be more strictly observed if we are to oppose this kind of attack as well as outright invasion.

For the facts of the matter are that this nation's foes have openly boasted of acquiring through our newspapers information they would otherwise hire agents to acquire through theft, bribery or espionage; that details of this nation's covert preparations to counter the enemy's covert operations have been available to every newspaper reader, friend and foe alike; that the size, the strength, the location and the nature of our forces and weapons, and our plans and strategy for their use, have all been pinpointed in the press and other news media to a degree sufficient to satisfy any foreign power; and that, in at least in one case, the publication of details concerning a secret mechanism whereby satellites were followed required its alteration at the expense of considerable time and money.

The newspapers which printed these stories were loyal, patriotic, responsible and well-meaning. Had we been engaged in open warfare, they undoubtedly would not have published such items. But in the absence of open warfare, they recognized only the tests of journalism and not the tests of national security. And my question tonight is whether additional tests should not now be adopted.

The question is for you alone to answer. No public official should answer it for you. No governmental plan should impose its restraints against your will. But I would be failing in my duty to the nation, in considering all of the responsibilities that we now bear and all of the means at hand to meet those responsibilities, if I did not commend this problem to your attention, and urge its thoughtful consideration.

On many earlier occasions, I have said--and your newspapers have constantly said--that these are times that appeal to every citizen's sense of sacrifice and self-discipline. They call out to every citizen to weigh his rights and comforts against his obligations to the common good. I cannot now believe that those citizens who serve in the newspaper business consider themselves exempt from that appeal.

I have no intention of establishing a new Office of War Information to govern the flow of news. I am not suggesting any new forms of censorship or any new types of security classifications. I have no easy answer to the dilemma that I have posed, and would not seek to impose it if I had one. But I am asking the members of the newspaper profession and the industry in this country to reexamine their own responsibilities, to consider the degree and the nature of the present danger, and to heed the duty of self-restraint which that danger imposes upon us all.

Every newspaper now asks itself, with respect to every story: "Is it news?" All I suggest is that you add the question: "Is it in the interest of the national security?" And I hope that every group in America--unions and businessmen and public officials at every level-- will ask the same question of their endeavors, and subject their actions to the same exacting tests.

And should the press of America consider and recommend the voluntary assumption of specific new steps or machinery, I can assure you that we will cooperate whole-heartedly with those recommendations.

Perhaps there will be no recommendations. Perhaps there is no answer to the dilemma faced by a free and open society in a cold and secret war. In times of peace, any discussion of this subject, and any action that results, are both painful and without precedent. But this is a time of peace and peril which knows no precedent in history.
—JFK, 1961

reply to post by wcitizen




Hit the return button a couple of times and make sure your comments are outside the quote markers.

First of all, I'd like to say "Hats off to Washington Post". It's about time some MSM showed a little initiative and balls.
Secondly I'd like to add that I recently met one of these private security contractors who also has ties with the DOD and other agencies. I have to assume that as an individual with ties to different agencies he was counted more than once. Whether he receives more than one pay check or not remains to be seen.
Either way, it still constitutes a boat load of money and a very shaky foundation with which this government stands on if it feels the need to create an approximate force of 1/300th of our population to provide safety to it's "citizens", and I say that with tongue in cheek.
I believe it's no longer the citizenry they wish to protect but rather there own arses!

Here is a video/audio/transcript of the interview with the book author.
Amy Goodman from Democracy NOW interviewing William Arkin.

Very interesting interview. I also find this interesting because they are talking about the industry I work in. I keep turning down the requests to upgrade my clearance until they (job) force me. Which may be soon.

Video Interview with Transcript.

What got me was the nearly 1 million US citizens with "Top Secret" clearance.

Could you imagine telling your significant other "it's okay - I can keep a secret - I'm only going to tell 1 million people".?

No wonder US intelligence leaks like UK intelligence these days.

Isn´t this proof that 911 was NOT inside job?
Why to spent so much money on protection if you know you did it.