US Opinion and Commentary

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A Threat to the Food System

Posted October 17th, 2016 at 1:11 pm (UTC-5)
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Fourteen years ago, U.S. Navy SEALs found a list of pathogens and a schematic in an Afghanistan cave that al-Qaida planned to use to produce bioweapons. In addition to six human pathogens, ten pathogens targeted food, six targeted livestock and poultry, and four targeted crops. Clearly, al-Qaida was considering agroterrorism.

Clinton v. Trump: Foreign Policy & National Security

Posted October 11th, 2016 at 4:29 pm (UTC-5)
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Beyond questions about Donald Trump’s sexually salacious dialogue on an 11-year old videotape; beyond accusations about the role Hillary Clinton may have played regarding her husband’s salacious dalliances, was there any substance to chew on during Sunday’s presidential debate?

Foreign policy and national security issues were touched on ever so slightly, mostly regarding Syria, Islamic State, Russia and Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims coming into the country.

So much of the 2016 presidential campaign has been about what the two candidates have done in their past. Americans have 28 days left to find out more about what Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton propose to do in the future.

Pardon Edward Snowden?

Posted September 16th, 2016 at 4:28 pm (UTC-5)
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Thanks largely to a movie debuting across the United States, Edward Snowden is back in the media spotlight and his fate debated anew.
Snowden is the former intelligence contractor who leaked sensitive documents about secret U.S. surveillance programs in 2013. He then fled the United States and has since been living in Moscow after Russia granted him political asylum.
Snowden claims to be a whistleblower who uncovered surveillance activity by the National Security Agency that was eventually deemed unconstitutional and then prohibited by congressional action. Federal prosecutors charged him with three felonies under the 1917 Espionage Act.
Three human rights organizations are urging President Barack Obama to pardon Snowden for his alleged crimes, which they characterize as “an act of conscience.” But a new House Intelligence Committee report portrays Snowden as “a serial exaggerator and fabricator” who caused” tremendous damage to national security.” The committee urged Obama against a pardon.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday Snowden should return to the U.S. and face the charges against him.
Edward Snowden: patriot or pariah?

A Debate Preview for Clinton & Trump

Posted September 9th, 2016 at 3:55 pm (UTC-5)
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American voters got a preview of the presidential debates this week.
During Wednesday’s “Commander-in-Chief” forum, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump appeared separately for 30 minutes each, taking questions about military, national security and veterans issues that the next “commander-in-chief” will face.
Clinton was grilled about her handling of email and her 2002 vote supporting the Iraq War. Trump was asked about his plans to defeat ISIS and his admiration for Vladimir Putin.
If the reaction by political pundits are any gauge, style will be as important as substance in determining who won the debates.

The Apple Fight Isn’t About Encryption

Posted February 17th, 2016 at 3:53 pm (UTC-5)
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Those who think encryption protects their personal data from the government — or, for that matter, from anyone determined enough to invest the effort in a brute force attack — are naive. Any encryption can be broken.

Busted: The Implications of Hacking an Adult Cheating Website

Posted August 21st, 2015 at 2:12 pm (UTC-5)
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The data breach of the marital cheating site Ashley Madison may result in much more than public shame and broken marriages. It could turn out to be a security threat given that the stolen data includes 10,000 email addresses belonging to U.S., British and Australian government officials. It is not known if these addresses are real or fake. But the possible compromised security of U.S. military officials has prompted the Pentagon to investigate. Although adulterers are – by definition -untruthful, it remains to be seen if the personal data of more than 33 million Ashley Madison members poses a real threat to national security.