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Barack Obama has ordered his senior national security and intelligence officials to draw up a list of potential overseas targets for US cyber-attacks, a top secret presidential directive obtained by the Guardian reveals.
The 18-page Presidential Policy Directive 20, issued in October last year but never published, states that what it calls Offensive Cyber Effects Operations (OCEO) "can offer unique and unconventional capabilities to advance US national objectives around the world with little or no warning to the adversary or target and with potential effects ranging from subtle to severely damaging".
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The directive also contemplates the possible use of cyber actions inside the US, though it specifies that no such domestic operations can be conducted without the prior order of the president, except in cases of emergency.
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
However, that, again, isn't the point of this. If accurate, this is the leak of an Honest to God Top Secret directive...
Manning burned Secret to Secret/NOFORN Level. That was bad and he'll do at least 20 years for it, as he deserves to. This is FAR above that if it's truly Top Secret.
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...according to both The White House and Pentagon’s own definitions, a cyber-attack is to be considered “An act of war.”
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
What the?! Who the?! HEY! Just what the hell is happening here?!
.....
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The directive also contemplates the possible use of cyber actions inside the US, though it specifies that no such domestic operations can be conducted without the prior order of the president, except in cases of emergency.
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by alfa1
Alfa.. WHEN the directive was written is 100% and absolutely irrelevant to when it was leaked. If it's current in terms of being in effect and it's Top Secret in classification? That is the story I'm writing here and the outright crisis, as I see it which Obama is now facing. He has a leaker that makes Manning look like a kid just playing little games.
If someone with proper TS access is now throwing documents out the back door.....well, as I said, agree with this one as someone else on this thread does. Fine ... Principle is totally lost on some people. The next leaks from this little Traitor might be something we don't find quite so happy and comfy to see thrown out there like yesterdays news, eh?
It's the gross violation of a core level of United States National Security I have a MAJOR problem with at this stage. That isn't a reason for them to attack the Guardian with the NSA dogs either. It's a real good reason to start checking very hard at who had access to this document and WHICH literal document...physical copy...the Guardian is holding at the moment. People familiar with classified material will know what I mean by that and those who don't? Let's just say not every document at that level is created equal. In fact, often times, 20 copies of the very same document will appear identical but are, very much, 20 DIFFERENT copies to the eye who knows where the changes are.
There is a dire security issue for Obama and his people to track down and it's in his own Executive Branch house, by the look of it.
Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Source
The directive also contemplates the possible use of cyber actions inside the US, though it specifies that no such domestic operations can be conducted without the prior order of the president, except in cases of emergency.
Manning burned Secret to Secret/NOFORN Level. That was bad and he'll do at least 20 years for it, as he deserves to. This is FAR above that if it's truly Top Secret. That's not a SMALL or technical change of classification status. It's a *BIG* leap in treason for release of critical war planning DURING war time.