The Staff and Students of this and other universities shouldn't have given into the White House request to Cover the JC (Standing for Jesus Christ) for this horrible man. I can't believe that a University founded on Catholic Christian principals would give into such a thing. Just goes to show how dangerous this man is becoming. We have got to stand up to things like this because it is just going to happen over and over again until Religion isn't even tolerated in America any longer.
Georgetown University Hid Religious Symbols at White House Request
Georgetown University, a Catholic institution, covered up religious insignia symbolizing the name of Jesus during President Obama's address there Tuesday after the White House requested the change.
FOXNews.com
Thursday, April 16, 2009
April 14: President Obama speaks about the economy at Georgetown University's Gaston Hall. The school covered up religious symbols bearing the name of Jesus during Obama's remarks at the behest of the White House. (Reuters)
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Georgetown University hid a religious inscription representing the name of Jesus during President Obama's address there Tuesday, FOXNews.com has confirmed, because White House staff asked the school to cover up all religious symbols and signs while the president was on stage.
The monogram IHS, whose letters spell out the name of Jesus, and which normally perches above the stage in Gaston Hall where the president spoke, was covered over with what appeared to be black wood during the address.
"In coordinating the logistical arrangements for the event, Georgetown honored the White House staff's request to cover all of the Georgetown University signage and symbols behind the Gaston Hall stage," university spokesman Andy Pino told FOXNews.com.
Click here for photos.
The White House said that the backdrop, which included blue drapes and a host of American flags, was standard during policy speeches and other events.
"Decisions made about the backdrop for the speech were made to have a consistent background of American flags, which is standard for many presidential events," said White House spokesman Shin Inouye in a statement released Thursday.
Georgetown is a private Catholic institution founded by Jesuits in 1789. The auditorium where the president spoke Tuesday is adorned with religious imagery, but only the symbols directly on the stage -- those likely to be picked up by a television camera -- were obscured.
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, accused the university of "cowardice" for acceding to the White House, and criticized Obama's team for asking a religious school to "neuter itself" before the president made his address.
"No bishop who might speak at the White House would ever request that a crucifix be displayed behind him," he said.
The White House insisted that the move was made only to provide a proper setting for the speech -- and said that "any suggestions to the contrary are simply false."
Though his advance team asked that the religious signs be veiled, the president himself took up religious discourse and discussed a passage from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount as he outlined his plans for an economic recovery.
"We cannot rebuild this economy on the same pile of sand," he said during his remarks, which came two days after Easter. "We must build our house upon a rock."
It was Obama's first visit to Georgetown since being elected president, but he also spoke at the school on Sept. 20, 2006 about the need for energy independence. A photograph of the event does not seem to indicate that parts of the stage were hidden during that address, which Obama made while still a U.S. senator.
Another Catholic university, Notre Dame, came under fire in late March for inviting the president to speak at its May 17 commencement. Obama supports abortion rights, which are considered anathema by the Catholic Church.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Law Center demands information from Homeland Security
TMLC Demands Dept. of Homeland Security Reveal Basis for its Report Targeting Right Wing Extremists
April 15, 2009
ANN ARBOR, MI – The Thomas More Law Center announced today that is has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Homeland Security demanding to know the basis for their recent intelligence assessment targeting as “rightwing extremists” those who oppose abortion, gun control, lax immigration laws, and a myriad of other policies supported by President Obama’s administration. The Law Center filed its request after consultation with conservative talk show host Michael Savage.
The Department of Homeland Security’s document in question, “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment” was released to law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Of particular concern was the report’s singling out of military veterans as vulnerable to rightwing extremism.
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center stated, “This is not an intelligence report but a diatribe against those who oppose the policies of the Obama administration. It is a declaration of war against the American people and our constitution. It is a prelude to extreme gun control legislation and hate speech laws targeting Christian churches and others who oppose abortion and same sex marriage. The federal government should be focusing its attention on the 35 radical Muslim compounds in the U.S. training its followers on how to kidnap and kill Americans.”
Thompson went on to say that this may be another opportunity for the Law Center to team up with Dr. Michael Savage. Michael Savage, the nationally syndicated conservative radio talk show host of The Savage Nation, recently teamed with the Thomas More Law Center in order to protect free speech by opposing the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.” Michael Savage warned of the possibility of a document like this being produced by DHS when he raised the issue of “Fusion Cells.” Fusion Cells are a set of local intelligence centers across the country created by the Department of Homeland Security to combat terrorism and related criminal activity, which includes pro-life activity.
Michael Savage is a longtime on-air supporter of the Thomas More Law Center. He used his radio show to marshal overwhelming support for one of the Law Center’s clients, Marine LtCol Jeffrey Chessani. Chessani is being prosecuted by the government in the so-called Haditha massacre – a massacre that never happened. A military judge ultimately dismissed the case. The government appealed the ruling and lost, but may appeal again.
The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes America’s Christian heritage and moral values, including the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life. It supports a strong national defense and an independent and sovereign United States of America. The Law Center accomplishes its mission through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at
By Michael Savage
Big Sister is Watching You (Part 2)
I told you on The Savage Nation about a report called the Modern Militia Movement, from the Missouri Information Analysis Center. It said that if you display political paraphernalia supporting a third party candidate, or you have what’s referred to as subversive literature, you could well be a member of a domestic paramilitary group. But this most recent report from the Department of Homeland Security and Big Sis Janet Napolitano goes even further. It ends on an ominous note. It says, “DHS … will be working with its state and local partners over the next several months to ascertain with greater regional specificity the rise in rightwing extremist activity in the United States, with a particular emphasis on the political, economic, and social factors that drive rightwing extremist radicalization. This isn’t change we can believe in. This is Janet Reno on steroids.The iron heel is starting to come down. The Homeland Security Department and these fusion centers were not created by Obama, but were created by George W. Bush. And while Obama may ultimately be responsible for suppressing third parties and anybody else whose thinking is out of line with the Marxist mainstream, it was Bush that started the process. So I don’t want to hear from lock step Republicans who insist that this is all Obama’s doing. Both sides are to blame. Bush started it, but Obama may finish it, with Big Sis at his side. Even the Communist ACLU has responded to some of these reports by saying that it crosses the line and shows a disregard for civil liberties. So dissidents on the left and dissidents on the right agree for once. But the government media complex, the Bush-Obama crowd, seems to be just fine with the idea of sending you up the river if you support a third party or oppose gay marriage. They’re OK with putting you under surveillance if you have, quote, subversive literature, unquote. Or if you happen to support the wrong Republican member of Congress, look out; your next vote may be your last.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Piracy Continues in Somalia
MOMBASA, Kenya - A cargo ship loaded with humanitarian aid was headed to Kenya under Navy escort Wednesday after evading pirates firing grenades and automatic weapons, the second unsuccessful hijacking attempt of a U.S. freighter in a week, officials said.
In defiance of President Barack Obama's vow to halt their banditry, pirates have seized four vessels and some 60 hostages off the Horn of Africa since Sunday's rescue of an American freighter captain from the drifting lifeboat where he was held hostage. If they had been successful Tuesday, the MV Liberty Sun would have been the fifth.
The Liberty Sun's American crew was not injured in the attack but the vessel sustained unspecified damage, owner Liberty Maritime Corp. said in a statement Tuesday night.
Story continues below ↓
"We are under attack by pirates, we are being hit by rockets. Also bullets," crewman Thomas Urbik, 26, wrote his mother in an e-mail Tuesday. "We are barricaded in the engine room and so far no one is hurt. (A) rocket penetrated the bulkhead but the hole is small. Small fire, too, but put out."
‘Evasive maneuvers’The Liberty Sun "conducted evasive maneuvers" to ward off the pirates before help arrived, said U.S. Navy Lt. Nathan Christensen, spokesman for the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet.
"That could be anything from zigzagging to speeding up to all kinds of things," he said. "We've seen in the past that that can be very effective in deterring a pirate attack."
A U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, responded to the attack but the pirates had departed by the time it arrived some five hours later, Navy Capt. Jack Hanzlik said.
After arriving on the scene, the Bainbridge sent "a small security detachment" onboard the Liberty Sun to ensure that its crew of about 20 mariners was safe, Christensen said. Urbik sent a follow-up e-mail to his mother "that said he was safe and they had a naval escort taking them in," Katy Urbik said.
Click for related content
Q&A with ex-FBI negotiator on strategyU.S. weighs options to fight piracyU.S. mulls where to charge captured pirate
The Bainbridge is the same destroyer from which Navy SEAL snipers killed three pirates holding freighter captain Richard Phillips captive aboard the powerless lifeboat. A fourth pirate surrendered. Phillips had been held captive for five days after exchanging himself to safeguard his crew during a thwarted hijacking of the Alabama by the pirates last week.
The Bainbridge was carrying Phillips to Kenya when it was called to respond to the attack on the Liberty Sun. He was still on board when the Bainbridge arrived to help the Liberty Sun, Christensen said.
U.S. captain to return homePhillips was to return home to the United States on Wednesday, after reuniting with his 19-man crew in the port city of Mombasa, according to the shipping company Maersk Line Ltd. It was not immediately clear how his detour would affect that plan.
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Video
U.S. ship escapes pirate attack April 15: A U.S. cargo ship is damaged by rocket and automatic weapon fire after another attempt by Somali pirates to seize an American vessel. The crew was uninjured in the attack. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports.
Today show
The Liberty Sun, with its crew of about 20 Americans, was carrying humanitarian aid to Mombasa. Liberty Maritime said the ship set off from Houston and had already delivered thousands of tons of food aid to a port in Sudan.
"We commend the entire crew for its professionalism and poise under fire," the Lake Success, N.Y.-based company said in the statement. President Philip J. Shapiro and chief financial officer Dale B. Moses declined to comment further.
Katy Urbik, said she was "very relieved and grateful to God for protecting him and to our Navy, and that we come from a country that can respond like that and protect our citizens."
Monday, April 13, 2009
Rescue of Captain making things worse.. figures.
Pirates Vow Revenge After U.S. Navy Rescues Captain
Monday, April 13, 2009
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AP/U.S. Navy
Apr. 12: Captain Richard Phillips is seen, right, with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano aboard the USS Bainbridge after being rescued.
Apr. 12: Captain Richard Phillips is seen, right, with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano aboard the USS Bainbridge after being rescued.
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali pirates on Monday vowed to retaliate for the deaths of three colleagues who were shot dead by U.S. Navy snipers hours before in a daring nighttime assault that freed a 53-year-old American captain.
The Navy Seals late Sunday rescued freighter Capt. Richard Phillips, who had been held by pirates on a lifeboat that drifted in the Indian Ocean for five days.
"Every country will be treated the way it treats us," said Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding a Greek ship anchored in the pirate den of Gaan, a central Somali town.
"In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press by telephone. "We will retaliate for the killings of our men."
He gave no details and it was not clear in what way the pirates could retaliate, though some fear they could take their revenge on the hundreds of other foreign nationals they hold on seized ships.
The rescue dealt a blow to pirates who regularly seize passing ships and hold them captive until multimillion dollar ransoms are paid. But it is unlikely to help quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has turned the Gulf of Aden and the waterways along Somalia's coast into some of the most dangerous shipping lanes on the planet.
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Pirates currently hold more than a dozen foreign ships, most moored along the Horn of Africa nation's long coast, with about 230 foreign sailors from Russia to the Philippines.
The American rescue followed a similar operation Friday carried out by French navy commandos, who stormed a pirate-held sailboat, the Tanit, in a shootout at sea that killed two pirates and freed four French hostages. The French owner of the vessel was also killed in the assault.
Residents of the Somali town of Harardhere said tensions were growing there.
Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothing store in the town, said: "We fear that the pirates may retaliate against the foreign nationals they are holding."
But he also said people feared "any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages."
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Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the American operation "could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it."
Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told The Associated Press that the three pirates' deaths were "a painful experience." Speaking from the pirate hub, Eyl, he added: "this will be a good lesson for us."
"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them," Habeb said. "Now they became our number one enemy," he said of U.S. forces.
So far, at least, it has been rare for Somali pirates to harm captive foreign crews.
Several years ago, a crew member of a Taiwanese fishing boat hijacked for six months was killed by pirates, but no reason was given but it appeared to be an isolated incident, according to Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. No reason was given but it appeared to be an isolated incident, he said.
Somalia has been engulfed in fighting and anarchy since the 1991 overthrow of Siad Barre, and remains today a country with no effective government, a nation ruled by tribal clans.
The piracy scourge appears to have evolved partly out of an attempt by Somali fishermen to protect their waters against illegal foreign trawlers who were destroying their livelihoods. Some of the vigilantes morphed into pirates, lured by the large profits they could win in ransoms.
Somalia's prime minister welcomed the U.S. Navy's operation Sunday.
"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but anyone who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told The Associated Press. "Anyway, we see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or anyone else involved in this dirty business."
Pirates were defiant though, vowing the events would not stop them form seizing more ships.
One pirate vowed the events would not stop them from targeting more ships.
"The mere killing of three and capturing one will not make us change our mind," said one pirate holding a German ship anchored in the Somali town of Harardhere who refused to give his name. "We are determined to continue our business regardless of the recent killings and arrests."
Monday, April 13, 2009
ShareThis
AP/U.S. Navy
Apr. 12: Captain Richard Phillips is seen, right, with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano aboard the USS Bainbridge after being rescued.
Apr. 12: Captain Richard Phillips is seen, right, with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Frank Castellano aboard the USS Bainbridge after being rescued.
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali pirates on Monday vowed to retaliate for the deaths of three colleagues who were shot dead by U.S. Navy snipers hours before in a daring nighttime assault that freed a 53-year-old American captain.
The Navy Seals late Sunday rescued freighter Capt. Richard Phillips, who had been held by pirates on a lifeboat that drifted in the Indian Ocean for five days.
"Every country will be treated the way it treats us," said Abdullahi Lami, one of the pirates holding a Greek ship anchored in the pirate den of Gaan, a central Somali town.
"In the future, America will be the one mourning and crying," he told The Associated Press by telephone. "We will retaliate for the killings of our men."
He gave no details and it was not clear in what way the pirates could retaliate, though some fear they could take their revenge on the hundreds of other foreign nationals they hold on seized ships.
The rescue dealt a blow to pirates who regularly seize passing ships and hold them captive until multimillion dollar ransoms are paid. But it is unlikely to help quell the region's growing pirate threat, which has turned the Gulf of Aden and the waterways along Somalia's coast into some of the most dangerous shipping lanes on the planet.
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qas_writeAd();
Pirates currently hold more than a dozen foreign ships, most moored along the Horn of Africa nation's long coast, with about 230 foreign sailors from Russia to the Philippines.
The American rescue followed a similar operation Friday carried out by French navy commandos, who stormed a pirate-held sailboat, the Tanit, in a shootout at sea that killed two pirates and freed four French hostages. The French owner of the vessel was also killed in the assault.
Residents of the Somali town of Harardhere said tensions were growing there.
Abdullahi Haji Jama, who owns a clothing store in the town, said: "We fear that the pirates may retaliate against the foreign nationals they are holding."
But he also said people feared "any revenge taken by the pirates against foreign nationals could bring more attacks from the foreign navies, perhaps on our villages."
Related Stories
Navy Snipers Kill 3 Pirates During Captain Rescue
Maersk Says Captain Is Grateful to U.S. Navy
U.S. Navy Frees Captain, Kills 3 Somali Pirates
Vermont Town 'Elated' Over Capt. Phillips' Release
Somali Pirate in Custody Could Face Life Sentence
FBI Begins Building Criminal Case Against Somali Pirates
U.S. Ship Arrives in Kenyan Port Without Captured Captain
Tense Standoff Between U.S., Pirates Mirrors Lawless Trend Off Somali Coast
Officials Say Pirate Fired Weapon in Captain's Failed Escape
More Warships Head to Scene of Hostage American Sea Captain
U.S. Warship, Hostage Negotiators Join Standoff as Pirates' Options Dwindle
Pirate Hijacking Resolutions at a Glance
For Somalis, Piracy Road to Power, Prosperity
Video
Phillps' Family Responds to Rescue
Freed!
Photo Essays
Somali Pirates Seize 20 Americans
Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said the American operation "could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it."
Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate, told The Associated Press that the three pirates' deaths were "a painful experience." Speaking from the pirate hub, Eyl, he added: "this will be a good lesson for us."
"From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them," Habeb said. "Now they became our number one enemy," he said of U.S. forces.
So far, at least, it has been rare for Somali pirates to harm captive foreign crews.
Several years ago, a crew member of a Taiwanese fishing boat hijacked for six months was killed by pirates, but no reason was given but it appeared to be an isolated incident, according to Noel Choong, who heads the International Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. No reason was given but it appeared to be an isolated incident, he said.
Somalia has been engulfed in fighting and anarchy since the 1991 overthrow of Siad Barre, and remains today a country with no effective government, a nation ruled by tribal clans.
The piracy scourge appears to have evolved partly out of an attempt by Somali fishermen to protect their waters against illegal foreign trawlers who were destroying their livelihoods. Some of the vigilantes morphed into pirates, lured by the large profits they could win in ransoms.
Somalia's prime minister welcomed the U.S. Navy's operation Sunday.
"The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but anyone who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means," Abdulkhadir Walayo, the prime minister's spokesman, told The Associated Press. "Anyway, we see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or anyone else involved in this dirty business."
Pirates were defiant though, vowing the events would not stop them form seizing more ships.
One pirate vowed the events would not stop them from targeting more ships.
"The mere killing of three and capturing one will not make us change our mind," said one pirate holding a German ship anchored in the Somali town of Harardhere who refused to give his name. "We are determined to continue our business regardless of the recent killings and arrests."
Friday, April 10, 2009
Cyber Spies Hack into US Electrical Grid
~ DEBS~I don't know but I certainly don't think such an important story got enough air time, at least not from the mainstream media. This type of thing should scare each and every one of us because if our electricity is taken out we cannot get vital information and everything comes to a screeching halt and leaves us open to some horrible consequences. I hope that this is being worked on and something being done about it so we aren't left vulnerable to our enemies this way.
WASHINGTON -- Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.
The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.
"The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid," said a senior intelligence official. "So have the Russians."
The espionage appeared pervasive across the U.S. and doesn't target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official. "There are intrusions, and they are growing," the former official said, referring to electrical systems. "There were a lot last year."
Question of the Day
Vote: How worried are you that a cyberattack could damage U.S. infrastructure?
Very Somewhat Not at all worried
Join the discussion.
More
Environment: Will a Smart Grid Repel Attacks?
China Journal: China Denies Hacking U.S. Electricity Grid
Many of the intrusions were detected not by the companies in charge of the infrastructure but by U.S. intelligence agencies, officials said. Intelligence officials worry about cyber attackers taking control of electrical facilities, a nuclear power plant or financial networks via the Internet.
Authorities investigating the intrusions have found software tools left behind that could be used to destroy infrastructure components, the senior intelligence official said. He added, "If we go to war with them, they will try to turn them on."
Officials said water, sewage and other infrastructure systems also were at risk.
"Over the past several years, we have seen cyberattacks against critical infrastructures abroad, and many of our own infrastructures are as vulnerable as their foreign counterparts," Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair recently told lawmakers. "A number of nations, including Russia and China, can disrupt elements of the U.S. information infrastructure."
Officials cautioned that the motivation of the cyberspies wasn't well understood, and they don't see an immediate danger. China, for example, has little incentive to disrupt the U.S. economy because it relies on American consumers and holds U.S. government debt.
But protecting the electrical grid and other infrastructure is a key part of the Obama administration's cybersecurity review, which is to be completed next week. Under the Bush administration, Congress approved $17 billion in secret funds to protect government networks, according to people familiar with the budget. The Obama administration is weighing whether to expand the program to address vulnerabilities in private computer networks, which would cost billions of dollars more. A senior Pentagon official said Tuesday the Pentagon has spent $100 million in the past six months repairing cyber damage.
U.S. Intelligence Detects Cyber Spies 1:54
WSJ's Intelligence Reporter Siobhan Gorman says that Intelligence officials have found cyber spies lurking in the U.S. electrical infrastructure.
Overseas examples show the potential havoc. In 2000, a disgruntled employee rigged a computerized control system at a water-treatment plant in Australia, releasing more than 200,000 gallons of sewage into parks, rivers and the grounds of a Hyatt hotel.
Last year, a senior Central Intelligence Agency official, Tom Donahue, told a meeting of utility company representatives in New Orleans that a cyberattack had taken out power equipment in multiple regions outside the U.S. The outage was followed with extortion demands, he said.
The U.S. electrical grid comprises three separate electric networks, covering the East, the West and Texas. Each includes many thousands of miles of transmission lines, power plants and substations. The flow of power is controlled by local utilities or regional transmission organizations. The growing reliance of utilities on Internet-based communication has increased the vulnerability of control systems to spies and hackers, according to government reports.
The sophistication of the U.S. intrusions -- which extend beyond electric to other key infrastructure systems -- suggests that China and Russia are mainly responsible, according to intelligence officials and cybersecurity specialists. While terrorist groups could develop the ability to penetrate U.S. infrastructure, they don't appear to have yet mounted attacks, these officials say.
It is nearly impossible to know whether or not an attack is government-sponsored because of the difficulty in tracking true identities in cyberspace. U.S. officials said investigators have followed electronic trails of stolen data to China and Russia.
Russian and Chinese officials have denied any wrongdoing. "These are pure speculations," said Yevgeniy Khorishko, a spokesman at the Russian Embassy. "Russia has nothing to do with the cyberattacks on the U.S. infrastructure, or on any infrastructure in any other country in the world."
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Wang Baodong, said the Chinese government "resolutely oppose[s] any crime, including hacking, that destroys the Internet or computer network" and has laws barring the practice. China was ready to cooperate with other countries to counter such attacks, he said, and added that "some people overseas with Cold War mentality are indulged in fabricating the sheer lies of the so-called cyberspies in China."
Utilities are reluctant to speak about the dangers. "Much of what we've done, we can't talk about," said Ray Dotter, a spokesman at PJM Interconnection LLC, which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in 13 states and the District of Columbia. He said the organization has beefed up its security, in conformance with federal standards.
In January 2008, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved new protection measures that required improvements in the security of computer servers and better plans for handling attacks.
Last week, Senate Democrats introduced a proposal that would require all critical infrastructure companies to meet new cybersecurity standards and grant the president emergency powers over control of the grid systems and other infrastructure.
Specialists at the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a nonprofit research institute, said attack programs search for openings in a network, much as a thief tests locks on doors. Once inside, these programs and their human controllers can acquire the same access and powers as a systems administrator.
NERC Letter
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation on Tuesday warned its members that not all of them appear to be adhering to cybersecuirty requirements. Read the letter.
The White House review of cybersecurity programs is studying ways to shield the electrical grid from such attacks, said James Lewis, who directed a study for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has met with White House reviewers.
The reliability of the grid is ultimately the responsibility of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., an independent standards-setting organization overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The NERC set standards last year requiring companies to designate "critical cyber assets." Companies, for example, must check the backgrounds of employees and install firewalls to separate administrative networks from those that control electricity flow. The group will begin auditing compliance in July.—Rebecca Smith contributed to this article.
WASHINGTON -- Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.
The spies came from China, Russia and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven't sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.
"The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid," said a senior intelligence official. "So have the Russians."
The espionage appeared pervasive across the U.S. and doesn't target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official. "There are intrusions, and they are growing," the former official said, referring to electrical systems. "There were a lot last year."
Question of the Day
Vote: How worried are you that a cyberattack could damage U.S. infrastructure?
Very Somewhat Not at all worried
Join the discussion.
More
Environment: Will a Smart Grid Repel Attacks?
China Journal: China Denies Hacking U.S. Electricity Grid
Many of the intrusions were detected not by the companies in charge of the infrastructure but by U.S. intelligence agencies, officials said. Intelligence officials worry about cyber attackers taking control of electrical facilities, a nuclear power plant or financial networks via the Internet.
Authorities investigating the intrusions have found software tools left behind that could be used to destroy infrastructure components, the senior intelligence official said. He added, "If we go to war with them, they will try to turn them on."
Officials said water, sewage and other infrastructure systems also were at risk.
"Over the past several years, we have seen cyberattacks against critical infrastructures abroad, and many of our own infrastructures are as vulnerable as their foreign counterparts," Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair recently told lawmakers. "A number of nations, including Russia and China, can disrupt elements of the U.S. information infrastructure."
Officials cautioned that the motivation of the cyberspies wasn't well understood, and they don't see an immediate danger. China, for example, has little incentive to disrupt the U.S. economy because it relies on American consumers and holds U.S. government debt.
But protecting the electrical grid and other infrastructure is a key part of the Obama administration's cybersecurity review, which is to be completed next week. Under the Bush administration, Congress approved $17 billion in secret funds to protect government networks, according to people familiar with the budget. The Obama administration is weighing whether to expand the program to address vulnerabilities in private computer networks, which would cost billions of dollars more. A senior Pentagon official said Tuesday the Pentagon has spent $100 million in the past six months repairing cyber damage.
U.S. Intelligence Detects Cyber Spies 1:54
WSJ's Intelligence Reporter Siobhan Gorman says that Intelligence officials have found cyber spies lurking in the U.S. electrical infrastructure.
Overseas examples show the potential havoc. In 2000, a disgruntled employee rigged a computerized control system at a water-treatment plant in Australia, releasing more than 200,000 gallons of sewage into parks, rivers and the grounds of a Hyatt hotel.
Last year, a senior Central Intelligence Agency official, Tom Donahue, told a meeting of utility company representatives in New Orleans that a cyberattack had taken out power equipment in multiple regions outside the U.S. The outage was followed with extortion demands, he said.
The U.S. electrical grid comprises three separate electric networks, covering the East, the West and Texas. Each includes many thousands of miles of transmission lines, power plants and substations. The flow of power is controlled by local utilities or regional transmission organizations. The growing reliance of utilities on Internet-based communication has increased the vulnerability of control systems to spies and hackers, according to government reports.
The sophistication of the U.S. intrusions -- which extend beyond electric to other key infrastructure systems -- suggests that China and Russia are mainly responsible, according to intelligence officials and cybersecurity specialists. While terrorist groups could develop the ability to penetrate U.S. infrastructure, they don't appear to have yet mounted attacks, these officials say.
It is nearly impossible to know whether or not an attack is government-sponsored because of the difficulty in tracking true identities in cyberspace. U.S. officials said investigators have followed electronic trails of stolen data to China and Russia.
Russian and Chinese officials have denied any wrongdoing. "These are pure speculations," said Yevgeniy Khorishko, a spokesman at the Russian Embassy. "Russia has nothing to do with the cyberattacks on the U.S. infrastructure, or on any infrastructure in any other country in the world."
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, Wang Baodong, said the Chinese government "resolutely oppose[s] any crime, including hacking, that destroys the Internet or computer network" and has laws barring the practice. China was ready to cooperate with other countries to counter such attacks, he said, and added that "some people overseas with Cold War mentality are indulged in fabricating the sheer lies of the so-called cyberspies in China."
Utilities are reluctant to speak about the dangers. "Much of what we've done, we can't talk about," said Ray Dotter, a spokesman at PJM Interconnection LLC, which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in 13 states and the District of Columbia. He said the organization has beefed up its security, in conformance with federal standards.
In January 2008, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved new protection measures that required improvements in the security of computer servers and better plans for handling attacks.
Last week, Senate Democrats introduced a proposal that would require all critical infrastructure companies to meet new cybersecurity standards and grant the president emergency powers over control of the grid systems and other infrastructure.
Specialists at the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, a nonprofit research institute, said attack programs search for openings in a network, much as a thief tests locks on doors. Once inside, these programs and their human controllers can acquire the same access and powers as a systems administrator.
NERC Letter
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation on Tuesday warned its members that not all of them appear to be adhering to cybersecuirty requirements. Read the letter.
The White House review of cybersecurity programs is studying ways to shield the electrical grid from such attacks, said James Lewis, who directed a study for the Center for Strategic and International Studies and has met with White House reviewers.
The reliability of the grid is ultimately the responsibility of the North American Electric Reliability Corp., an independent standards-setting organization overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
The NERC set standards last year requiring companies to designate "critical cyber assets." Companies, for example, must check the backgrounds of employees and install firewalls to separate administrative networks from those that control electricity flow. The group will begin auditing compliance in July.—Rebecca Smith contributed to this article.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Some Words of Wisdom From Michael Savage...
The rising pink tide
Vermont has legalized gay marriage. This is not a surprise in itself. Vermont for the last generation or two has been a far-left fiefdom that has elected avowed socialist Bernie Sanders again and again to Congress. But coming on the heels of the Supreme Court in Iowa shoving gay marriage down the throats of America’s heartland, coming on the heels of the gay mafia in California pushing the state Supreme Court to try and overturn Proposition 8, it is an ominous sign. There is a rising tide of pink fascism in this country, and it comes as a result of the election of Barack Hussein Obama. Obama has signaled that during his reign it will be acceptable to impose gay marriage on the people of the United States. He’s being very cleverly used as a tool of the gay puppet masters. He is personally masculine, has a beautiful family, and was used by the gay mafia to convince real American families that they should support him. And now that Obama the Trojan horse has been taken inside the gates so to speak, the contagion from within his administration is spreading throughout the country. One state at a time seems to be falling. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, California is teetering on the brink. Will Texas be next? Will Obama say that in order to make up for the oppression caused by slavery that the Deep South will now have to accept gay marriage under duress? Is this a sexual reconstruction of the entire country? Don’t ask, because Obama won’t tell.
D-day for Obama
On June 6, 1944, the American invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe began on the beaches of Normandy. Thousands of American men were killed in a single day. But in April of 2009, Barack Hussein Obama dishonored the memory of those fallen men by refusing to visit Normandy on his European trip. Why did he do it, you ask? Because he didn’t want to offend Germany. You see, his European vacation has been very carefully calculated. He spends so much time in France, so much time in Germany, just enough in each case to stroke the egos of Europe’s neo-Marxist heads of state. And so because he had already spent time in Paris, the city of lights, the world capital of fashion, he didn’t want to come back on the way home. Germany might look poorly on it if he paid France an extra visit. I’ve already told you that Obama is trying to be president of the world. And this is just another example of him misplacing his priorities. For Americans, the beaches at Normandy in France are hallowed ground. Tens of thousands of our men shed their blood in this invasion in a fight against tyranny and despotism. In a fight which Americans of this generation couldn’t begin to make. President Reagan went there during his administration. Going there isn’t even really a foreign trip. It’s a trip to honor America’s fallen heroes. And though Obama is willing to whine and dine the French in Paris, though he’s a crowd pleaser in Prague, though he sounds terrific to the Turks, when it comes to Normandy, he’s nobody.
Vermont has legalized gay marriage. This is not a surprise in itself. Vermont for the last generation or two has been a far-left fiefdom that has elected avowed socialist Bernie Sanders again and again to Congress. But coming on the heels of the Supreme Court in Iowa shoving gay marriage down the throats of America’s heartland, coming on the heels of the gay mafia in California pushing the state Supreme Court to try and overturn Proposition 8, it is an ominous sign. There is a rising tide of pink fascism in this country, and it comes as a result of the election of Barack Hussein Obama. Obama has signaled that during his reign it will be acceptable to impose gay marriage on the people of the United States. He’s being very cleverly used as a tool of the gay puppet masters. He is personally masculine, has a beautiful family, and was used by the gay mafia to convince real American families that they should support him. And now that Obama the Trojan horse has been taken inside the gates so to speak, the contagion from within his administration is spreading throughout the country. One state at a time seems to be falling. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, California is teetering on the brink. Will Texas be next? Will Obama say that in order to make up for the oppression caused by slavery that the Deep South will now have to accept gay marriage under duress? Is this a sexual reconstruction of the entire country? Don’t ask, because Obama won’t tell.
D-day for Obama
On June 6, 1944, the American invasion of Nazi-controlled Europe began on the beaches of Normandy. Thousands of American men were killed in a single day. But in April of 2009, Barack Hussein Obama dishonored the memory of those fallen men by refusing to visit Normandy on his European trip. Why did he do it, you ask? Because he didn’t want to offend Germany. You see, his European vacation has been very carefully calculated. He spends so much time in France, so much time in Germany, just enough in each case to stroke the egos of Europe’s neo-Marxist heads of state. And so because he had already spent time in Paris, the city of lights, the world capital of fashion, he didn’t want to come back on the way home. Germany might look poorly on it if he paid France an extra visit. I’ve already told you that Obama is trying to be president of the world. And this is just another example of him misplacing his priorities. For Americans, the beaches at Normandy in France are hallowed ground. Tens of thousands of our men shed their blood in this invasion in a fight against tyranny and despotism. In a fight which Americans of this generation couldn’t begin to make. President Reagan went there during his administration. Going there isn’t even really a foreign trip. It’s a trip to honor America’s fallen heroes. And though Obama is willing to whine and dine the French in Paris, though he’s a crowd pleaser in Prague, though he sounds terrific to the Turks, when it comes to Normandy, he’s nobody.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
BABY CAILYN EMILY HAS ARRIVED!
MY 2nd Granddaughter finally decided to make her debut last night at 10:26, after a full day of making her mommy labor. She weighed in at 6 lbs 11 oz and is 20.5 inches long. Mommy and baby are doing great and home already. CONGRATULATIONS JENNIFER AND TIM! WELCOME CAILYN!!! Can't wait to meet ya!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
More of the Brilliant Michael Savage on MO
MICHELLE OBAMA VS. JACKIE KENNEDY
MICHELLE OBAMA IS NOW IN EUROPE WITH HER HUSBAND. THE MEDIA SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO MAKE HER INTO ANOTHER JACKIE KENNEDY. BUT JACKIE KENNEDY LIVED IN ANOTHER WORLD. IT WAS A WORLD WHERE LIBERALS LIKE HER HUSBAND STILL HAD THE GUTS TO STAND UP TO FOREIGN TYRANTS. IT WAS A WORLD WHERE WOMEN WERE RESPECTED EVEN IF THEY DIDN’T STAND UP AND GIVE SPEECHES TO GAY AND LESBIAN GROUPS, AS MICHELLE OBAMA HAS DONE. IT WAS A WORLD WHERE THE CHROME WAS THICK AND THE WOMEN WERE STRAIGHT AND WE HAD A CHARMING ELEGANT FIRST LADY WHO IMPRESSED THE ENTIRE WORLD WITH HER GRACE AND CHARM.
SO WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MICHELLE OBAMA AND JACKIE KENNEDY?
· JACKIE KENNEDY WAS BORN IN SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK, MICHELLE OBAMA WAS BORN IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
· JACKIE KENNEDY WENT TO VASSAR AND GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. MICHELLE OBAMA WENT TO PRINCETON.
· JACKIE KENNEDY WAS RAISED TO BE A SOCIALITE. MICHELLE OBAMA WAS RAISED TO BE AN ANTI-SOCIALITE SOCIALIST.
· JACKIE KENNEDY WOOED FOREIGN DIGNITARIES. MICHELLE OBAMA WAS BOOED BY FOREIGN PROTESTERS.
· JACKIE KENNEDY EXUDED PRIDE IN AMERICA. MICHELLE OBAMA SAID THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS PROUD OF AMERICA WAS WHEN HER HUSBAND STARTED DOING WELL IN THE POLLS.
SO IN THIS CORNER WE HAVE, AT 5 FEET, SEVEN INCHES TALL, WEIGHING IN AT 120 POUNDS, JACKIE KENNEDY. AND IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE, AT 5 FEET, ELEVEN INCHES TALL, WEIGHING IN AT 137 POUNDS, MICHELLE OBAMA. WHO WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE BETTER ROLE MODEL FOR THE GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN OF AMERICA? I’LL LET THE SAVAGE NATION DECIDE.
MICHELLE OBAMA IS NOW IN EUROPE WITH HER HUSBAND. THE MEDIA SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO MAKE HER INTO ANOTHER JACKIE KENNEDY. BUT JACKIE KENNEDY LIVED IN ANOTHER WORLD. IT WAS A WORLD WHERE LIBERALS LIKE HER HUSBAND STILL HAD THE GUTS TO STAND UP TO FOREIGN TYRANTS. IT WAS A WORLD WHERE WOMEN WERE RESPECTED EVEN IF THEY DIDN’T STAND UP AND GIVE SPEECHES TO GAY AND LESBIAN GROUPS, AS MICHELLE OBAMA HAS DONE. IT WAS A WORLD WHERE THE CHROME WAS THICK AND THE WOMEN WERE STRAIGHT AND WE HAD A CHARMING ELEGANT FIRST LADY WHO IMPRESSED THE ENTIRE WORLD WITH HER GRACE AND CHARM.
SO WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MICHELLE OBAMA AND JACKIE KENNEDY?
· JACKIE KENNEDY WAS BORN IN SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK, MICHELLE OBAMA WAS BORN IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
· JACKIE KENNEDY WENT TO VASSAR AND GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY. MICHELLE OBAMA WENT TO PRINCETON.
· JACKIE KENNEDY WAS RAISED TO BE A SOCIALITE. MICHELLE OBAMA WAS RAISED TO BE AN ANTI-SOCIALITE SOCIALIST.
· JACKIE KENNEDY WOOED FOREIGN DIGNITARIES. MICHELLE OBAMA WAS BOOED BY FOREIGN PROTESTERS.
· JACKIE KENNEDY EXUDED PRIDE IN AMERICA. MICHELLE OBAMA SAID THE FIRST TIME SHE WAS PROUD OF AMERICA WAS WHEN HER HUSBAND STARTED DOING WELL IN THE POLLS.
SO IN THIS CORNER WE HAVE, AT 5 FEET, SEVEN INCHES TALL, WEIGHING IN AT 120 POUNDS, JACKIE KENNEDY. AND IN THIS CORNER, WE HAVE, AT 5 FEET, ELEVEN INCHES TALL, WEIGHING IN AT 137 POUNDS, MICHELLE OBAMA. WHO WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE BETTER ROLE MODEL FOR THE GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN OF AMERICA? I’LL LET THE SAVAGE NATION DECIDE.
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