NSA Personnel Use Pidgin Instant Messaging To Coordinate Activites

The National Security Agency at Fort Meade has learned well from the White House e-mail retention problems. Or so they thought.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Senator Leahy, charged with enforcing the laws of war against the United States government, has some comments for the White House, NSA, DoJ, and intelligence community: You have no credibility and you will respond to the subpoenas related to this electronic data.

The NSA has been linked with the Pidgin private messaging system which appears to circumvent the data retention requirements. This link discusses how to analyze the NSA's Pidgin IM messaging system which the NSA personnel have been using; where to look for the information; and how to analyze the NSA personnel actions when they use this non-official, commercial product for ongoing communications.

Karl Rove has been using Windows. This link goes into an analysis of the bookmarks and cache system outside counsel at Sidley Austin are familiar. There is no credibility to any White House assertion that they did not have enough guidance on document retention standards. Sidley Austin was available to conduct peer reviews and IT audits of the White House counsel policies, guidance, and memoranda.

Investigators from Congress and international war crimes prosecutors are encouraged to review the NSA personnel in their procurement office to determine why the NSA is discussing contracts to hire, use, and work with agencies and entities that place personnel in non-official cover status in the United States.

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___ What is the plan of Congress to subpoena all records related to the NSA Pidgin system as it relates to war crimes, prisoners abuse, illegal warrants, inappropriate use of NSLs, transfer of data to target lawful activity, or other US government actions to thwart enforcement of the laws of war?

___ When did Sidley Austin discuss document retention standards with the White House counsel's office?

___ When will Members of Congress review all third-party orders and direction by the NSA legal counsel to delegate from their cache system all records and evidence related to the US of any instant messaging sytem to coordinate any official activity?

___ What is the plan today to scan for the Pidgin system on all NSA employee work stations, NSA contractors, and other intermediaries affiliated directly or indirectly with the intelligence community, White House, DoJ, and Republican Party?

___ When will the NSA IG discuss their plan with Members of Congress to use certified fraud examiners to review the time lines, data, and other evidence NSA personnel have sent using instant messaging systems?

___ Is there a reason that the National Security Agency personnel are using AOL and the Pidgin system to coordinate the use of CIA contract employees inside the United States?

___ When does the NSA plan to fully disclose to Congress their operational plans, communications, and other data sent through these instant messages as they relate to coordination unlawful use of illegally captured information for the FBI to self-issue National Security Letters; or support illegal surveillance; or support unlawful kidnapping referred to as rendition?

___ When does NSA IG plan to discuss the document retention standards applicable to NSA personnel using these commercial instant messaging systems?

___ What are the reasons why NSA is using commercial products to coordinate NSA official activities?

___ Why are these non-secure products being used at any time by personnel associated with the National Security Agency?

___ What is the status of Q2's investigation into personnel who have been using these instant messaging systems?

___ Is the intent of the IM system so that under polygraph NSA personnel can affrimatiley say, "I have not used e-mail to discuss classified information"?

___ Why have NSA personnel been incorrectly told that illegal activity, war crimes, and other unlawful violations of the laws of war, when classified, cannot be discussed; or that activity is appropriate use of e-mail and IM systems?

___ When does the NSA legal counsel plan to remind NSA personnel that it is illegal to classify evidence of war crimes; put a gag order on NSA personnel or contractors related to war crimes or illegal activity; and that it is not lawful to create a contract vehicle or use contract language that compels contractors to remain silent about illegal warfare or activity which puts into effect rendition, prisoner abuse, illegal warrants, or FISA violations?

___ Why isn't NSA Q2 specifically asking why NSA personnel are not using instant messaging systems to engage in illegal activity, or plan official NSA operations?

___ Reason why NSA personnel are discussing methods to use commercial products which are not designed to interface, retain, or store data for Members of Congress?

___ When did NSA IG Plan to present these findings to the Congress?

___ Given the high visibility of the White House e-mail retention problem, did it not enter the minds of NSA management or the NSA IG that this instant messaging product requires some sort of legal memorandum?

___ How did the NSA leadership plan to incorporate the lessons learned from the White House and properly issue guidance to retain all e-mails and instant messages that the NSA personnel have been sending?

___ What coordination has there been between NSA and CIA-related entities to target, track, and monitor personnel using NSLs?

___ Why is the National Security Agency interfacing with entities designed to circumvent the United States Code?

___ How many of the NSA personnel assigned to Ft. Meade or their contracting facilities are knowlwedable of the information going between intermediaries, NSA contractors, and other firms related to the of illegally captured information for purposes of abusing prisoners of war?

___ When did the NSA management plan to discuss with Congress their knowledge that the NSA personnel were interfacing with entities, personnel, and other government agents and contractors who have been implicated in war crimes?

___ Is there a reason that the NSA senior management has not reviewed the scope of contracts the NSA has with entities which illegally use information; or transfer that information to personnel assigned by those entities for purpose of committing war crimes?

___ What is the explanation the National Security Agency has for allowing personnel assigned to the NSA to use commercial instant messaging systems; but there be no adequate explanation why those products are linked with commercial entities used to support war crimes, implement Geneva violations, or carry out unlawful acts of war?

___ What role did the NSA procurement office have in acquiring non-official instant messaging systems used to coordinate information transfer from the NSA to support illegal kidnapping, prisoners abuse, and war crimes?

___ When does the NSA IG plan to discuss how the NSA personnel were using instant messaging systems to coordinate the transfer of information, people, and data from the NSA to the CIA for purposes of disseminating illegally captured information used to engage in war crimes, kidnap civilians, engage in prisoner abuse, and schedule the transport of personnel across international borders?

___ Does the NSA IG have any plan to review the use of NSA personnel use of instant messaging to transfer data from the NSA to commercial entities used to manage the NSA domestic surveillance program?

___ When does the NSA plan to fully cooperate with a war crimes investigation into use of NSA resources to support, implement, and carry out violations of the laws of war?