Jack Shaffer of Slate is suggesting that the CIA should purchase Knight Ridder newspapers, currently on the block, essentially because he contends reporters have more access to secret information than spooks. His partially tongue in cheek essay points out that reporters have apparently trumped intelligence agencies many times during the past, most recently with Iraq's WMDs. So the instant solution is just to put the reporters on the payroll. Zing. Pow.
Part of his point was the recent announcement of the intelligence community's new "DNI Open Source Center". The news release says:
The Center will collect, analyze and research data and will be responsible for training and information technology management to facilitate governmentwide access and use of the Center’s IT systems.
In other words, rather than buy a news organization the CIA will just more actively monitor them. Of course, open source means everyone on the web not firewalled or password protected, ie the blogosphere. Here's how Director Goss put it:
“The DNI Open Source Center represents a major strategic initiative and commitment to the value we place on openly available information,” said Goss.
We know the NSA has been listening in on open source communications for decades. Surely someone in the intelligence field was also scanning the internets. I do recall one, Operation Able Danger. We've been told their information wasn't important, so maybe they were pressing the wrong key or something.
Anyhow, this pathetic lil ole blog has nothing to hide, matter of fact I could use the traffic. So welcome DNI! I am curious to see how you'll appear on the site traffic programs.
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