TresSugar

Front Page: Julia Child Was a Spy, Inflation Hits Major High, Lebanon Bombing Kills 15

CitizenSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:55:03 -0700

Julia Child Was a Spy:
Newly released files show that famous chef Julia Child was a World War-II era spy. The CIA declassified 35,000 top-secret personnel files that detailed the huge spy network run by the OSS, which later became the CIA. Former OSS agents are pleased with the release of the information, a list which includes other notables like Ernest Hemingway's and Teddy Roosevelt's sons.

Inflation Hits Major High:
Consumer prices rose at twice the rate expected to post the fastest rate of growth in 17 years. Costlier energy and food made the Consumer Price Index balloon. Food alone is six percent more expensive than a year ago.

Lebanon Bombing Kills 15:
A briefcase bomb detonated in a bus packed with Lebanese soldiers on their way to work, killing 15 and wounding more than 40 people. The bombing distracted from the news from Damascus that Syria and Lebanon were to establish diplomatic relations for the first time since both won their independence from France in the 1940s. The bombing is the deadliest attack in Lebanon in more than three years.

Reply All? Swedish Government Checking Citizens' Emails

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:00:27 -0700

She looks so happy checking her email in her Ikea-esque room! Too bad if she was actually in Sweden, she'd be hopping mad that her government was checking her email for her. A new law that provides the Swedish government the right to read all emails and listen to all phone calls crossing the country’s borders has outraged its citizens - who've harnessed build-your-own-irony and filed 2 million protests - online. The petition arrives as EU countries debate whether or not to grant governmental authorities previously unheard of domestic spying powers over their own citizens.

Unlike the United States, many European nations have already had the experience of their government spying and for hardly honorable reasons. “It looks too much like the Stasi,” said one Swedish citizen referring to the East German police during the Soviet Union’s influence in that country. The "you've got mail, and we can read it" law, which passed the Swedish Parliament by 142-138 votes gives their National Defense Radio Establishment (FRA) the right to scan all international phone calls, emails and faxes without court order beginning in the new year.

Proponents for the new law said, “The information is needed to evaluate, and meet, outside threats against Sweden.” And went on to stress the need to protect Sweden against terror attacks similar to those in New York, Madrid and London. Is checking inboxes the way to keep terrorism in check?

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Spies Among Us Prove Israel Has the Bomb?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:02:15 -0700

Yesterday, an American mechanical engineer for a US Army weapons center was arrested for disclosing classified defense information to none other than our own allies, the Israelis.

Ben-Ami Kadish is being accused of acting as an illegal agent (read: spy) for the Israelis from 1979 to 2008 without notifying anyone in the US Attorney General’s office. Between 1979 and 1985, it is alleged that Kadish took classified documents to his home in New Jersey where his contact (code named CC-1) would photograph the sensitive material. One of the documents contained restricted information concerning nuclear weaponry.

Even more interesting, are rumors that are circulating concerning Israel’s current nuclear capabilities. Mordechai Vanunu, who has been imprisoned in Israel for eighteen years for treason, was convicted for telling a British newspaper in 1986 about his work as a technician at Israel’s main atomic reactor. This was the first time anyone was willing to come forward with physical proof of Israel’s nuclear assets. It gets trickier, just read more.

To this day, Israel will not officially admit to having the Middle East’s only nuclear weapons under a policy called “strategic ambiguity.” Of the eight nuclear states, only five are legal under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Three, India, Pakistan, and Israel have not signed the NPT. In fact, there are about 29,000 warheads in the world. It would take a lot of ducking and covering to withstand that kind of blast.

Is it even possible for some countries to have nuclear weapons while some don't? Can anyone control it? What do you think is the effect of Israel being the only nuclear state in the Middle East? If the capability for the weaponry already exists, is it even possible to get rid of them now? Should we try?

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Shot Through the Heart! Spy Gives Gun Control a Bad Name

LibertySugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:00:02 -0700

Get this: a gun-control activist, who sat on the board of two anti-violence groups, might have been a spy for the NRA all along! Mary Lou McFate (or Mary Lou Sapone) has worked for gun control for over a decade, but her organizations have just kicked her out so they can start checking her offices for bugs. Using her maiden name "McFare," Mary allegedly posed as a gun-control activist at the behest of the National Rifle Association. As an alleged mole for the NRA, McFate met with members of Congress, attended rallies, and participated in strategy sessions on behalf of gun control.

This isn't the first time McFate has acted as a freelance spy. During the 1980s she infiltrated an animal-rights group for US Surgical, a company accused of using dogs for research and training. She has also worked as a flight attendant and a sex therapist.

Even though McFate had access to every major legislative strategy of the gun-control lobby, some say they have nothing to hide from the NRA. In fact, a few gun-control activists feel flattered that the gun lobby sees them as a threat.

Source

Google to Help the CIA Spy

LibertySugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:00:58 -0700

Google is helping the CIA get its blog on. The internet search engine giant will supply the technology for a Wikipedia-style intelligence site: Intellipedia.

Agents will post information about targets on a secure internal forum where they can read, edit, and tag their own content, as well as the content of other spies. There will be three levels of access: top secret, secret and sensitive, and sensitive but unclassified.

This is just one of the many lucrative contracts secured by Google's "Federal Government Sales Team." It is reassuring that the government is willing to look to the private sector for innovative national security technology.

But, does it make you at all nervous that Google, a company with unimaginable access to information about private citizens, is getting nice and cozy with the federal government?

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Sunday Confessional: I Spied To Save My Marriage

DearSugar — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 08:00:00 -0800

Dear Sugar

My husband and I have been married for a year and a half. We met in our early thirties and dated for about three years before we got married. This is my husband's second marriage, and my first. We now have a child, and I must admit that our sex life has fallen by the wayside. We used to have sex a couple of times a week, and now I feel like it is more like a couple of times a month.

It really upsets me because my body has changed so much since the baby, and I guess I am feeling less attractive to him. I don't want to feel insecure in my marriage, so the other night I decided to bring this sensitive subject up with my husband.

His reaction might be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. I love my husband, but I have to say that this is the first time I have ever seriously considered divorce. He told me that sometimes, the reason he isn't in the mood for sex is because part of him feels like he is cheating on his ex-wife.

This prompted me to do something very bad, something illegal actually. I hired a shady photographer friend of mine to spy on my husband's ex and her new boyfriend at their house. I asked him to take close-up pictures of them having sex.

Isn't this genius! Now I have some proof to show my husband that she has completely moved on. I know this is immature, but I did what I did to save my marriage. I haven't shown him the pictures yet - I can only hope that he doesn't get jealous and admit to still being in love with her!

Front Page: UK Papers Accused of Spying on Famous People

TresSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:00:50 -0700

British police are investigating the tabloid News of the World and other papers for allegedly paying private investigators to obtain private phone numbers, bank statements, and voice mail messages from top celebrities and politicians. - AP
Violence erupted across Iran, as Iranians held a new wave of demonstrations. Baton-wielding police officers broke up the protests. - BBC News
Last week, US jobless claims dropped to the lowest since the beginning of last year, signaling that layoffs may be slowing. - New York Times
A new study shows that obesity is hitting California's economy. - LA Times
The Feds have busted a huge dog-fighting ring, rescuing about 350 dogs. - CNN

Front Page: Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee Arrive Home

TresSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:00:07 -0700

Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee arrived home in California this morning, accompanied by former President Bill Clinton. - CNN
A man who opened fire in a Pennsylvania gym last night, killing four, apparently kept a website chronicling his years of rejection by women. - AP
President Obama has unveiled a $2.4 billion grant program for electric cars. - MSNBC
An Iranian lawmaker said today that the three captured Americans arrested for illegally entering from Iraq are "definitely" spies. -LA Times
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Kenya today spreading a message of free trade and the rule of law. - NY Times

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Briefing Book! China Surveillance Spying on Skype Users

LibertySugar — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0700

China: Wireless wiretapping? Chats over Skype network are being tracked and recorded by computers located in China. - Shanghaiist
McCain: Is John McCain a hipster? Campaign could roll out old pics to help McCain with hipster demographic. - 23/6
Abortion: Will it swing voters to McCain? Pro-life group prepares radio ad charging Obama allowed babies to die. - Talking Points Memo
Bailout: Bailout for House Email needed? The Write Your Representative feature on House.gov came under more stress than the credit markets. - The Lede
Biden: What might Joe Biden say at tonight's debate? McCain released web ad of Biden's greatest hits. - Townhall
Grammar: Does diagramming a sentence provide insight into the mind of its perpetrator? Amateur language buff takes a crack at diagramming Sarah Palin's sentences. - Slate

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Front Page: Cheney in Afghanistan, Germany Limits Spying, McCain in the UK

CitizenSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:03:29 -0700

Vice President Dick Cheney visited Afghanistan today to meet with President Hamid Karzai. The visit is in anticipation of a NATO summit where Washington is expected to urge its allies to send more troops to the troubled country. The NATO-led force has about 43,000 troops in Afghanistan, charged with fighting Taliban militants. The militants have regrouped since US and Afghan forces removed the hardline Islamist movement from power after the September 11, 2001 attacks. They relaunched their insurgency two years ago. Cheney said of the need for troops, "all free nations have an interest in a secure, democratic Afghanistan."

Germany's highest court has restricted an anti-terrorism law making telecom companies store private data for six months. Uner the new ruling data may still be kept but is only to be accessed during investigations into serious crime. The original ruling was a result of the discovery of a number of alleged terrorism plots in Germany in recent years. The case was spurred by a class-action suit against the original ruling filed by 30,000 people. The German court's decision comes amid US debates over FISA and telecom rights.
Senator John McCain met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown today to discuss Iraq, the world economy and climate change. Addressing the fact that Brown hopes to cut British troops near Basra from 4,000 to 2,500 soon, McCain said, "having just come from Iraq, I can tell you unequivocally that the situation has improved dramatically over the last year. Iraqi people are going about their normal lives, but the fact is al Qaeda is on the run. They are not defeated." He added, "We appreciate enormously the long service and sacrifice of the British men and women in the military both in Iraq and Afghanistan."