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
Last year’s awards were hosted in Moscow by a member of the KGB advisory board appointed by Putin, this year they are in a Russian owned restaurant in Berlin – hmm!
As they say spooks never die.
Habbabkuk
‘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…?’
Really? Well, before we can discuss it we need to know what on earth it means, and I can’t make head nor tail of the Trowbridge Ford piece you quote. Can you tell us what it means please. I bet you can’t.
Still not convinced by the Snowden narrative or bona fides,unfortunately.
Last minute dashes to Hong Kong and Moscow whilst liasing with Grauniad journos?
Its clear to me the Grauniad are Establishnent to the hilt.
Its all very Ian Fleming.
If Snowden was the real deal i doubt very much he’d have made it out of the USA.
Id like to be wrong,of course.
The wilderness of mirrors is never what it seems.
All that remains is a variety of new culinary delights: regional sophistication with global aspirations. (Berlin Moscow’s very upmarket website)
Sounds like you might meet Blair in a place like that, with all his global aspirations…looks from the menu page as if filling the belly is not a priority, though. Maybe it’s art. Who’s the owner, RD?
I certainly can tell you what I mean.
Annie Machon went way out of her way to leak what double agent Anas Al-Liby aka TUNWORTH had been doing to help MI6 assassinate Gaddafi. While it hoped it would just get rid of the Arab leader who caused the Lockerbie disaster, Al Liby’s Islamic Fighting Group hoped to make it into an Al Qaeda state.
The fact that Al-liby is TUNWORTH is made crystal clear when she was obliged to black out his name in text of her book while his name is in the index where all the deletions are mentioned.
This left Al-Liby free to organize the Embassy attacks, and Gaddafi left him free when Libyan TV announced just before Jovin’s murder that the leader of the attempted assassination was Abdullah Rawdan – what MI6 was happy to confirm.
He then arranged the assassination in New Haven.
Republicofscotland, 22 Jan 4:30 pm:
Why do you say that?
I disagree. All those former Sam Adams award winners changed things. Giving William Binney the award will bring publicity to his testimony:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jul/11/the-ultimate-goal-of-the-nsa-is-total-population-control
Sorry ,but Binney only became disgusted of mass data collection, according to his own explanation, after the 9/11 attacks.
Perhaps the award was given to the wrong guy, mainly Rick Taylor who objected to ttrailblazer before 9/11. and resigned.
KoWN
“Well, before we can discuss it we need to know what on earth it means, and I can’t make head nor tail of the Trowbridge Ford piece you quote.”
I have never been able to make head nor tail of anything Trowbridge Ford has written – here or on Squonk.
Trowbridge H. Ford, well, nominate Rick Taylor then. Compile some convincing, reliable evidence* and send it in.
* No, really, this step isn’t optional; poorly substantiated pet theories like you post on Squonk will just lead to you being ignored.
Thanks Maxter (1.47pm)
I’ve seen that speech referenced many times but I’ve never listened to it before. Nobody now would dare make such a speech, not even a powerful Jew like Freedman, they would be destroyed.
Jives, the way it works is that the whistleblower gives copies to the best corporate media available (and the Guardian is still among those) who may not want to publish it, but have to to some degree because they know other copies are out there.
It’s the same as us banging on about stuff here, like we did with Werritty. Either they publish (eventually, partially, grudgingly) or they look silly once it’s all over the Blogsphere and they’re still pretending they haven’t heard…
Once it’s in the mainstream media it can get incorporated it into Wikipedia, because it’s backed by a “Reliable Source”. There’s method in our madness! Craig’s FOI requests, with research and publicity from this blog filled in much of the detail found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Werritty
Clark,
Yes i understand the process;im just not convinced in the Snowden case.
It all seems justa wee bit,well…pat.
I repeat,i hope im wrong and may well be.
Funny how the names of Liam and Adam crop up occasionally.
‘Next, the sleaze check: ‘The government is untainted by major scandal.’ Under David Cameron, a cabinet minister has had to resign and go to prison for perverting the course of justice. But not even the Prime Minister’s bitterest foe would claim that Chris Huhne’s travails — or Liam Fox’s links with Adam Werritty, or Andrew Mitchell’s resignation over plebgate or Maria Miller’s over her expenses — have tainted the whole government. More difficult for No. 10 has been Andy Coulson’s conviction in the phone-hacking trial. Whether Coulson’s links to phone hacking in a previous job counts as a major government scandal is debatable, but Cameron’s opponents will certainly say that it does when they are on the campaign trail.’
George Osborne’s 13 tests for an election victory (and how many he’s passed)
By the Chancellor’s 2004 rules, his chances are on a knife edge
24 January 2015
http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/politics/9421772/george-osbornes-13-tests-for-an-election-victory-and-how-many-hes-passed/
Speaking of Coulson, his retrial comes in June.
Andy Coulson faces retrial over alleged purchase of royal phone directories
Jury in the original phone-hacking trial could not agree a verdict on corrupt payments charges and were discharged
22 January 2015
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/22/andy-coulson-retrial-royal-phone-directories
Not a trace of Rebekah. Where is she now?
January 22, 2015
Jury fails to reach verdicts in Sun trial
A jury has failed to reach verdicts in the trial of four senior Sun journalists accused of corrupting public officials “on a grand scale”.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c7af5c82-a235-11e4-aba2-00144feab7de.html
The case was significant for its detailed insight into the newspaper’s culture under former editors Kelvin MacKenzie and Rebekah Brooks. It also raised questions about News Corp’s co-operation with prosecutors, with lawyers for some of the accused strongly criticising Rupert Murdoch’s company.
“Who’s the owner, RD?”
Not sure – perhaps the one of the attendees can go and ask at the Russian Embassy just across the road – Russians are required to get permission from the Central Bank of Russia before investing in foreign countries so they should know – assuming the operation is legal and not a money laundering operation.
Just saw this on the FT
Goldman and JPMorgan chiefs’ pay tops $20m
Blankfein package lower at $24m and Dimon’s flat at $20m !!
Expect they are in Davos with the crooks like al-Sisi and Poreschenko.
http://video.ft.com/4004809504001/Geopolitics-at-Davos/Editors-Choice
the Russian Embassy just across the road
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. So the Suggestion of Nitro-poached Barramundi Enrobed By Marinated Potato* is probably bugged, then. And the langoustines have CCD eyes.
*You can do it yourself, here:
http://thumbsnap.com/s/wYejGZgG.jpg
BellyHeave
“”And the rest of the participants are just a mixed bag of the good, bad and indifferent.””
Just stick to what you know about.
The man who puts the poo into the word spooks.
Expect they are in Davos with the crooks like al-Sisi and Poreschenko.
Of course they are. Agonising about the deprived; not educated enough, apparently. Be careful what you wish for, Jamie.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102356513
BTW, wonder what JP Morgan are paying Tony Blair these days.
I would have put this on the ‘Perfect Day’ thread but it’s gorn!
Yeaterday in the HoC
William Hague (First Secretary of State and Leader of the House of Commons; Richmond (Yorks), Conservative)
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I hope that it is appropriate for me to inform the House that, while we have been having this debate, news has emerged that Lord Brittan of Spennithorne, Leon Brittan, has passed away. Many of us who have known him for a long time will know that he had been ill for many months, but this is a sad moment to receive this news. He was my predecessor as Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks), which is why I particularly want to pay tribute to him as a former Member of this House and former Home Secretary. He was a kind, assiduous and brilliant man, and I know that the whole House will join me in sending our deepest condolences to his wife, Diana, at this difficult time.
Jesse Norman (Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative)
I echo the sentiments that the Leader of the House has just expressed. I am sure that we all feel the same sense of sorrow on hearing that Lord Brittan has passed away.
@Homeneara*
22 Jan, 2015 – 9:33 pm – Thanks buddy for the link – Superb & welcome.
I see in the blurb beneath the video that Craig is listed as ‘Elizabeth Murray’.
Shome mistake shurely.
Clark, all the Sam Adams people need to know about Rich Taylot is to consult James Bamford’s The Shadow Factory which is essentially devoted to how NSA should conduct data gathering.
Not about to nominate anyone about anything for the cesspool we currently live in.
Sorry to hear about your mental impairment, Dreolin. Hope you can find some help.
Stories not yet sponsored by a Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams) as far as I’m aware…but somehow, US media is waking up? – more medicine needed?
yesterday we saw real-world-accurate stories from two mainstream US Media!
http://www.salon.com/2015/01/21/distortions_lies_and_omissions_the_new_york_times_wont_tell_you_the_real_story_behind_ukraine_russian_economic_collapse/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2015/01/22/u-s-should-stay-out-of-the-russo-ukrainian-quarrel-a-bakers-dozen-reasons-why-the-conflict-in-ukraine-is-not-americas-business-part-one/
Resident Dissident, 22 Jan 10:55 pm and 23 Jan 7:03 am: if you’re “not sure” who owns the Berlin restaurant, how do you know or what makes you think it’s “Russian owned”?
This is not a rhetorical question; I don’t understand how you could have partial knowledge. Are you just repeating a rumour?
Why has Blair become BBC News’ go-to guy for explanations of all things Middle East? Some dictator that needs eulogising? Awkward reports that need explaining away? Yet more destruction that needs a simplistic, self-justifying answer? Step forward Blair – unindicted war criminal, war profiteer, stooge for wealthy dictators and national traitor. Not to mention the most likely European political leader to become a £Billionaire through his services to foreign powers, while in office and ever since.
Why has Blair become BBC News’ go-to guy for explanations of all things Middle East?
Perhaps it has something to do with Blair’s being at heart a failed rock god. And with the indolence of mainstream journalists. And probably with Blair’s enormous PR operation. Blair comments on every issue (see also the late King Abdullah, today) and is able to suggest that the BBC might like to have his opinion even while the news on which he would like to comment is a terse Reuters communique on its way to the newsdesk. And, unlike experts, he’s always available, if not in person, then on videolink, to impart his wisdom.
Anyhow…Baroness Amos is another such. Here she is, putting her unique understanding at the disposal of the fatcats at Davos:
http://www.weforum.org/sessions/summary/pandemics-whose-problem
Incredible.
From Medialens
Not in our name! “It is with great regret that we learn of the death of the King Abdullah”
Posted by Doonerak on January 23, 2015, 2:07 pm
This is the UK Department for Media, Culture and Sport, today:
Half-masting instructions, published 23 January 2015
It is with great regret that we learn of the death of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia.
It is requested that all flags be half-masted from 8am today until 8pm this evening.
Any other UK national flags flown alongside the Union Flag when it is at half-mast should also be at half-mast. If a flag of a foreign nation is normally flown on the same stand as the Union Flag, it should be removed.
Local authorities are not bound by this request but may wish to follow it for guidance. Devolved administrations are responsible for issuing instructions for the flying of the Union Flag on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/half-masting-of-flags-following-the-death-of-king-abdullah-bin-abdulaziz-king-of-saudi-arabia
A week after this
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-publicly-beheads-woman-in-holy-mecca-as-blogger-set-to-receive-second-lashing-9982134.html
The religious people at Westminster Abbey are also expressing their ‘respect’ for the dead tyrant.
https://twitter.com/wabbey
Brookings’ Bruce Riedel urges intensified US support for Saudi despots
Every now and then, leading mavens of the Foreign Policy Community have an uncharacteristic outburst of candor
Glenn Greenwald
19 January 2013
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/jan/19/riedel-brookings-saudi-tyranny-mali
Includes photo of Blair with Abdullah.
While you’re there, insider tip: Das Gift, Donaustrasse.
http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/das-gift-berlin
Labour’s new leaflet.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/the-uks-official-political-bogeyman/