I am in Berlin for the annual Sam Adams Award – this time to William Binney, formerly Technical Director of the NSA. There will be an address by Edward Snowden (and a short contribution from me). It really is a tremendous event, with some very senior former intelligence professionals making revelations about the extent to which the security state is out of control, a tool of immoral governments dominated by corporate interests.
The event is at the Berlin-Moscow Venue, 52 Unter Den Linden, and starts at 7pm (6pm UK time). It will be livestreamed on the Sam Adams website.
7:00-7:05 Wilkommen by Joerg Dreger, Managing Partner, Dreger Group
7:05-7:12 Ray McGovern, veteran CIA senior intelligence officer (27 years) and presidential briefer; SAA cofounder and Master of Ceremonies: Moment of Silence for Ambassador Robert White; acknowledgement of David MacMichael, retired Senior Estimates Officer in National Intelligence Council; Overview of history/purpose of Sam Adams Award
7:12-7:15 Annie Machon, former M15 intelligence officer (speech + introduction of Katharine and Craig)
7:15-7:20 Katharine Gun*, former GCHQ intelligence officer
7:20-7:25 Craig Murray*, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan
7:25-7:28 Coleen Rowley*, former FBI Special Agent and Minneapolis Chief Division Counsel (brief remarks +introduction of Todd P., Jesselyn & Tom)
7:28-7:33 Jesselyn Radack*, former ethics adviser, US Department of Justice and National Security; Human Rights Adviser, Government Accountability Project (GAP)
7:33-7:37 Todd Pierce, Major, US Army Judge Advocate (ret.); Guantanamo Military Commissions Defense Counsel
7:37-7:45 Thomas Drake*, former senior intelligence service executive, National Security Agency (NSA) – (speech + introduction of Ed Snowden)
7:45-8:00 Edward Snowden* (by video link), former NSA contractor; former CIA systems administrator
8:00-8:05 Ray McGovern segue to SAA Award Announcement; Reading of SAAII citation by Annie M. & Elizabeth M.(English and German versions, respectively); conferral by Thomas Drake of Sam Adams Integrity in Intelligence Corner-Brightener Candlestick to William Binney, former National Security Agency (NSA) Technical Director, World Geopolitical and Military Analysis, NSA, and co-founder, Signals Intelligence Automation Research Center
8:05-8:20 Acceptance speech by William Binney, former Technical Director, World Geopolitical and Military Analysis, NSA, and co-founder, Signals Intelligence Automation Research Center; Q & A
8:20-8:25 Wrap-up by Ray McGovern
8:25-8:30 Closing remarks by Joerg Dreger
8:30-9:00 Reception
*denotes former Sam Adams Award recipient
Isn’t Snowden in danger of being extradited to the USA from Germany, or snatched by American soldiers on German soil?
Enjoy Berlin, its open 25hrs/day….. much time to talk off the record, how exciting.
Be warned, Berlin is open 25hrs/day and you will always find a place for breakfast.
Abe, he’s most likely be addressing them via video, even if in person, he’s served us all, so why should anybody want him napped?’
@ Abe Rene
That’s what I thought when I read it, but then I looked at the itinerary it says that Snowden will be appearing by video link.
The CIA will be disapointed.
RobG
Yes but they will be happy to have the 10 others of us in the same room. Some of our shadowers might get a night off!
“The public is invited to attend the award presentation scheduled to begin at 7 pm on January 22nd at the Berlin Moscow venue, Unter den Linden 52, 10117, Berlin, Germany.”
If I see you there, I will be happy to shake your hand, Mr Murray!
Great line-up; good to see there are still some good guys/gals out there.
Off topic but a must listen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOiKKR0BxfE
@ Craig
If my knackered laptop can handle the livestream, and if they show some audience shots, I’ll play Spot the Spooks.
Good luck with it.
It is sixty years since I was doing stuff. Not much changes, but the tech gear is a lot fancier and rather more reliable. At least it is a lot smaller than a three ton truck.
Awsome Brilliant Craig n ( and ) All in volveded
on Just a personal note..Some of the most beautiful Souls i have ever met..came from you…There’s a few i need to work on…
Nevermind Ye wee Bugger Up to mischief as usual.. Under a bunch of hay… Lol
Mary
Sorry for not Saying in a while..Peace and wishing ya well
And to you too dear Brian. I enjoy reading your notes here.
I will be logged on to Livestream too. I was going to say wrap up well to Craig but the temperatures in Edinburgh and Berlin are identical give or take 1 degree C.
~~~~~
10 of the best films set in Berlin
Berlin has been the backdrop – and even the star – in movies from cold war spy thrillers to dramas about the collapse of East Germany. Andrew Pulver picks the top 10 films set in the city
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/aug/17/top-10-films-set-in-berlin
Its good to see that there’s actually an event, in which folk like yourself, (of previous prominent position) discuss how the security services, and the immoral actions of a state, have such a detrimental effect on the lives of people.
Intelligence, counter intelligence, covert operations, false flag events, the funding of terror cells, usurping governments, and many other subjects, do need addressing, around the world.
Its a pity, that events like the one in Berlin, won’t actually change a single thing, though talking about such things, is at least, a step in the right direction.
Have nice time Craig.
the Sam Adams award for integrity will tonight be trumped by prince Andrew, accused of having sex with under-age girls, who, in half an hour, will speak for the first time since having been accused.
May he choke on his canapés and/or may his next illicit encounter chew of his bone of content.
Leon Brittan has died
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jan/22/leon-brittan-former-home-secretary-dies
A bit off topic perhaps, but it does seque into Craig’s post, with regard to immorality and corruption in the corridors of power.
I wonder if May’s Keystone Cop inquiry into child abuse will now get off the ground…
This is from the website of the Dreger Group.
Hope there is a better translation of their motto!
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.dregergroup.com/&prev=search
DREGER Group GmbH is a company founded by Jörg Dreger family and business commitments sufficient to back up to the year 1992. The company is based on a powerful international network of personal contacts. The focus is on strategic consulting, information management and new business development.
The Vision :::
DREGER Group GmbH is it you aligned purposefully advised to define the strategy with you and to support you in the operational implementation.
The strategy :::
Focus is on sustainable consulting, selection of optimal solutions with respect to the business processes of today and tomorrow, and the inclusion of the personnel, market-based and global environment.
The motto :::
“Consult – Strategy – Execute” …
The market segment :::
DREGER Group is mainly aimed at medium-sized companies in Germany and international companies in the BRICS countries, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
O/T Whereas the IDF motto IS
Offer water, take photo, execute.
20 January 2015 Israeli soldier gives 74-year-old Palestinian woman water then shoots her in the head
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/16463-israeli-soldier-gives-74-year-old-palestinian-woman-water-then-shoots-her-in-the-head
Two lines went down suddenly on the BBC 1 News at 6pm.
One from Brian Taylor on the row about Cameron’s version of new powers for Scotland
and
the other from Peter Hunt, the ‘royal’ correspondent, in Davos who was about to report on what P Andrew just said about the sex allegations.
So funny. We heard not a word from either.
Oh wow Craig what an amazing event to attend and cohort to be a part of!!!
> the security state is out of control, a tool of immoral governments
> dominated by corporate interests
Hard to argue against that. But why omit an interesting feature these governments share? Here, I’ll add it:
> …a tool of immoral, democratically-elected governments…
It turns out Orwell got something wrong in ‘1984’: he thought that ‘doublespeak’ and ‘crimestop’ were essential features of *totalitarian* government!
live link?
Trowbridge Ford’s take (from Sqauonk’s blog). Comments?
“Craig’s hoopla over William Binney getting this year’s Sam Adams award is most misplaced.
Binney should have leaked NSA’s failure to adopt Thin Thread rather than Trailblazer before 9/11 rather than after. He was just posturing for himself then as the Al Qaeda suicide bombers got what they wanted, and Binney is finally getting an unjustified award.
And the rest of the participants are just a mixed bag of the good, bad and indifferent.
Annie Machon, the former MI5 officer who passed along discredited MI6 officer David Shayler’s leaks about its covert, unauthorized attempt to assassinate Gaddafi?
Her leaks just gave Anas Al-Liby a clean bill of health to continue his covert activities for the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and Al Qaeda – what resulted in the East African car bombings, the assassination of Yale student Suzanne Jovin for what she was attempting to put in her senior thesis, and ultimately 9/11.”
Habbabkuk
I thought you were banned from Squonk’s blog?
KingOfWelshNoir
I think he’s banned from posting, but there’s nothing to stop him reading. AFAIK.
Very pleased that the inspiring Katharine Gun has made another appearance. Such a shame her dramatic trial victory was overshadowed by Clare Short’s rant about UN bugging.
LIVE William Binney to receive Sam Adams Award in Berlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSLRoIEJBsI
Dreoilin
Really? Not much of a banning then, is it really? In my day we would put them outside the city walls, tell them to vamoose and instruct the archers to shoot them if they came back. #The World is going to Pot.
Dreoilin, KOWN, etc…
I’m not of course taking a position on what Trowbridge wrote; I just thought commenters on here might be interested to hear a different point of view. Is that not what discussion and debate is all about…?
or even: …what discussion and debate are all about.