The CIA's New National Clandestine Service Chief Outed On Twitter

Did a Professor's Tweet Reveal the Identity of CIA's New Chief Spy? -- Mashable

On Tuesday, the CIA announced the new head of its National Clandestine Service, one of the agency's most important branches, responsible for sending spies abroad and managing its drone program. And in classic spy fashion, the announcement didn't include the agency head's name, saying the agent "remains undercover."

The statement by CIA spokesperson Jennifer Youngblood did mention that the agent had been a CIA veteran for 30 years and that he had "rich substantive and operational experiences worldwide." And even though the name of the new chief spy, as well as the name of the agent who was first picked to lead the clandestine service but was then passed over, "are widely known in the intelligence community," as the Washington Post put it, the CIA "requested that they not be identified because they are undercover."

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Update: CIA's New Chief Spy Outed on Twitter -- Gawker

My Comment: You cannot keep anything secret anymore .... certainly not in this 24/7 web-connected universe.

Pro-Syrian Hackers Target High-Profile Twitter Feeds

Syria’s Pro-Assad Hackers Are Hijacking High-Profile Twitter Feeds -- Washington Post

The Syrian Electronic Army, an informal network of hackers who wage cyberwar in support of the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad, have found yet another way to harass Western Web users. Hackers identifying as part of the Syrian Electronic Army have hijacked a series of Twitter feeds over the last few weeks. The targeted feeds tend to be associated with Western organizations, particularly ones that somehow cover Syria.

Last month, hackers took over the Twitter feed and Web site for Human Rights Watch, disseminating the unsubtle message “Syrian Electronic Army Was Here.” Last week, they hacked into National Public Radio’s site and its Twitter feeds, criticizing NPR’s coverage of the Syrian civil war.

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Update #1: CBS Twitter Hacked by Syrian Electronic Army, Reports Say -- Epoch Times
Update #2: Syrian Hackers Hijack CBS Twitter Accounts -- Red Orbit

My Comment: An inconvenience .... but not the end of the world.

The Growing Role Of Twitter In Reporting Breaking News Stories

Boston Marathon Explosions Elicit Outpouring Of Grief, Anger, Information On Twitter -- New York Daily News 

Athletes, celebrities and New York's Bravest tweeted condolences in 140 characters.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg released a statement saying the "NYPD has stepped up security at strategic locations and critical infrastructure, including our subways."

New York's Bravest, celebrities, politicians and musicians used Twitter to express anger and grief over the twin bombings near the finish line at Monday's Boston Marathon.

Many are speculating the incident, which left at least three dead and more than 100 injured, is an act of terrorism. Several officials have spoken out about the incident. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg released the following statement:

 “As law enforcement authorities investigate today’s explosions in Boston, I ask all New Yorkers to keep the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers. I have spoken with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, and the NYPD has stepped up security at strategic locations and critical infrastructure, including our subways. Some of the security steps we are taking may be noticeable, including deployment of Critical Response Vehicles and additional police personnel, and others will not be. We have 1,000 members of the NYPD assigned to counter-terrorism duties, and they – along with the entire NYPD and the investments we have made in counter-terrorism infrastructure – are being fully mobilized to protect our city.”

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Update #1: After Boston explosions, people rush to Twitter for breaking news -- L.A. TIMES
Update #2: Horror of marathon bombings recounted on Twitter -- USA Today

My Comment: Twitter is great for reporting on the first 5 minutes of an incident .... but 12 hours later .... it is another story.

al-Shabaab's Twitter Account Has Been Suspended

Omar Hammami announced through his Twitter account that al-Shabab had threatened to kill him [Al Jazeera]

Twitter Suspends al-Shabaab Account -- The Guardian

Al-Qaida-linked Somali militants used Twitter to announce death threat against Kenyan hostages, breaking terms of service.

Twitter has suspended an account used by Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabaab after the insurgents used the site to post a hostage video and death threat.

The @HSMPress Twitter account was suspended two days after al-Shabaab used the platform to announce a death threat against Kenyan hostages unless Kenya's government met its demands. Twitter's terms of service say it does not allow specific threats of violence against others in its posts.

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More News On al-Shabaab's Twitter Account Being Suspended

Somali militant Twitter account suspended after posting hostage video and death threat -- National Post/AP
Twitter freezes account of Somali al-Qaeda -- Al Jazeera
Al Shabaab says enemies closed its Twitter account -- Reuters
Al Shabaab Has Been Dismantled... on Twitter -- The Atlantic
Al-Shabab Twitter Account Apparently Suspended -- Voice of America
Terrorists Knocked Off Twitter After Threats -- ABC News
Twitter account of Somali militants suspended after death threat tweet against hostages -- Washington Post/AP
Somali militants’ Twitter shut after death threat -- Salon
Al Shabab finally goes too far for Twitter -- Passport/Foreign Policy

Tweeting Every Drone Strike Has Revealed Possible U.S. War Crimes

The NYU Student Tweeting Every Reported US Drone Strike Has Revealed A Disturbing Trend -- Business Insider

NYU student Josh Begley is tweeting every reported U.S. drone strike since 2002, and the feed highlights a disturbing tactic employed by the U.S. that is widely considered a war crime.

Known as the "double tap," the tactic involves bombing a target multiple times in relatively quick succession, meaning that the second strike often hits first responders.

A 2007 report by the Homeland Security Institute called double taps a "favorite tactic of Hamas" and the FBI considers it a tactic employed by terrorists.

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My Comment: NYU student Josh Begle's twitter feed is here. Complaints of drone "double taps" has been coming out from Pakistan for years. But this is the first time that we can spot the trend .... and yes .... many do believe that hitting first responders in such a fashion is a war crime.

On a side note .... my father fought in the Second World War (Soviet Army) .... and he once told me that for the Nazis this was one of their favorite tactics in bombing .... 10 to 15 minutes after a bombing, a second wave would then come in and kill-off the emergency crews and survivors trying to rescue those who were caught in the first wave.

Will Twitter Pull The Plug On Israel And Hamas?

Does The Israel-Hamas Internet War Violate Twitter's Terms of Service? -- The Atlantic

If so, a new way of war may soon meet its end.

We're now in day two of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. AllThingsD's Mike Isaac asks whether the IDF's swaggering taunt to Hamas in the wake of its opening airstrike represented a violation of Twitter's terms of service:

According to Twitter's rulebook, users are not permitted to "publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others," nor are users allowed to use Twitter "for any unlawful purposes or in furtherance of illegal activities." That includes tweets both foreign and domestic, as Twitter's "international users agree to comply with all local laws regarding online conduct and acceptable content."

Facebook's ToS cites similar bylaws, telling users not to post content designed to incite violence or hate speech.

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My Comment: I would have to say yes .... but Twitter will not "pull the plug" in view of the fact that many civilians on both sides are using social media like Twitter to keep track on the well of each other. In short .... the social good overcomes any usage of Twitter as a propaganda tool by both sides.

The Twitter War Between Israel And Hamas

Hamas Shoots Rockets At Tel Aviv, Tweeting Every Barrage -- Danger Room

On day one of the fight between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces executed a top leader of the militant group — and took to Twitter and YouTube to brag about it. On day two, the Palestinian group hit back, launching its most sophisticated rockets and announcing every new barrage on social media.

The counteroffensive is a major change from the last time the IDF and Hamas battled, during 2009′s “Operation Cast Lead.” Then, the Palestinian militant movement used improvised rocket-launchers to dump crude rockets on the Israeli towns nearest to Gaza. Their information warfare campaign was similarly primitive. Today, Hamas is armed with relatively sophisticated Iranian Fajr-5 rockets, firing them at Israel’s largest city, and tweeting that the rockets are causing havoc in Tel Aviv.

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More News On The use Of Social Media Between Israel And Hamas

Israel and Hamas wage social media fight via social media platforms -- AP
Israel and Hamas deploy Twitter feeds in media war -- The Guardian
Twitter and other social media now another front in Gaza attack -- L.A. Times
Israel, Hamas Fight Twitter War -- Huffington Post
Israel wages Twitter war with Hamas over Gaza -- The Independent
Twitter War Erupts Between Israel and Hamas During Gaza Strikes -- ABC News
Israel Defence Forces and Hamas trade threats on Twitter -- CBC
Israel and Hamas wage online war of words -- France 24
In Israeli Attack on Hamas: Shock, Awe and Social Media -- New York Times
Israeli military puts Hamas on notice via Twitter -- The Hill
Israeli Military, Hamas Battle It Out In Reality -- And On Twitter -- Radio Free Europe
IDF-Hamas Gaza Twitter War: the Spin in Real Time -- The Wrap
Hamas, Israel and why social media like Twitter and Facebook are a new front in the war for Gaza -- Ian Burrell, The Independent

How Twitter Can Be A Useful Intelligence Tool For The Military

Can The US Military Fight A War With Twitter? -- Kerry Davis, Computer World

New projects could bring about a change in the way intelligence is gathered.

IDG News Service - Students at a military graduate school in California are mining social media with new methods that may change the way the armed forces collect intelligence overseas.

Students and researchers at the Naval Postgraduate School have tackled two projects that could begin the shift in the way intelligence is gathered. The first is a piece of software they wrote that harnesses the Twitter API (application programming interface) and the second is a project focusing on Syria that uses social networks to look at U.S. policy options there, though civil liberties experts say the technology concerns them.

The software for Twitter, called the Dynamic Twitter Network Analysis (DTNA), is now being field-tested by three Defense Department units overseas to help gauge public opinion in some of the world's hot spots.

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My Comment: In short .... data mining social media networks will provide intel that is not only detailed and practical .... but also very quickly.

Twitter Is The Tool of Choice For Dissidents In Saudi Arabia

Twitter Gives Saudi Arabia a Revolution of Its Own -- New York times

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia did not have an Arab Spring. But it has had a revolution of sorts.

Open criticism of this country’s royal family, once unheard-of, has become commonplace in recent months. Prominent judges and lawyers issue fierce public broadsides about large-scale government corruption and social neglect. Women deride the clerics who limit their freedoms. Even the king has come under attack.

All this dissent is taking place on the same forum: Twitter.

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My Comment: I suspect that the Saudi security services are monitoring this traffic very closely.

Syrian Supporters Hack Into Reuters Twitter Feed And Blogging Platform

Reuters Blog Backend Gets Hacked, Fake Statements About Syria Posted -- Daily Tech

Top media organization is investigating where the attacks originated from

On Friday Thompson Reuters, one of the internet's most visited sources for interviews, reporting, and analysis, was the victim of malicious hackers who gained access to the content management system it uses to post blogs.

While Reuters says it does not currently know the identity of the attackers, it is clear they were fixated on Syria and were looking to spread negative misinformation about the freedom fighters actively rebelling against the country's despotic regime.

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More News On Reuters Twitter And Blogging Platform Hacked By Pro-Syrian Government Supporters

Reuters Twitter account hacked, false tweets about Syria sent -- Reuters
Reuters hacked by pro-Assad propagandists again, this time on Twitter -- Christian Science Monitor
Hacked Reuters Twitter Feed Used to Spread Disinformation About Syrian Rebels -- the Lede/New York Times
Reuters Twitter Feed, Blogging Platform Hacked -- Discovery News
Reuters Twitter account hijacked, fake tweets sent -- CNet News
Reuters hacked twice in 48 hours; pro-Syrian government stories, Tweets posted -- NBC

Afghanistan`s Civil War Is Now Being Fought On Twitter

Taliban And Nato-Led Forces Engage In War Of Words On Twitter -- The Guardian

Taliban spokesman and Isaf press office have spat online as insurgents attack Kabul's diplomatic and military enclave.

As the 20-hour assault by Taliban insurgents on Kabul's diplomatic and military enclave drew to a close on Wednesday, insurgents and coalition forces decided to prolong the battle the modern way: on Twitter.

If the continued insurgency in Afghanistan represents a failure of dialogue, the spat between the Taliban and the press office of the international security assistance force (Isaf) on Wednesday proved that they are ready to exchange words directly, even if their comments offered little hope of peace being forged anytime soon.

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My Comment: Using the media during wartime to promote your side has clearly evolved over the years .... especially in winning the hearts and minds of of those who are not actively involved in the conflict.

Update: The Taliban are winning Afghanistan's information war -- Frank Ledwidge, The Guardian

Twitter Being Used For Global Diplomacy

Swedish Foreign Minister Uses Twitter To Contact Bahraini Counterpart -- The Telegraph

Foreign diplomacy is a generally a discreet business, often involving top level communications of the clandestine variety.

But when Sweden’s foreign minister was unable to contact his counterpart in Bahrain, he took full advantage of the digital age and resorted to Twitter to get the message across.

Carl Bildt used the social networking site to send a Tweet to Khalid Al Khalifa which could also be read by millions of fellow Twitter users.

The Tweet, sent at around 10.30pm GMT, from @carlbildt read: “@khalidalkhalifa Trying to get in touch with you on an issue.”

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My Comment: The social media revolution is hitting every part of our economy/politics/social & cultural networks/and now .... diplomatic.

The Taliban Are Now Tweeting In English

Tweets: The Taliban extended its propaganda effort online by sending its first tweet in English on Thursday. Image from The Daily Mail

Forget Osama’s Diary: Taliban Now Tweeting in English -- The Danger Room

Social media clearly played a role in the Arab Spring movement. Now let’s see if it advances the agenda of … the Taliban?

Yes, the Taliban — which, The Guardian notes with proper British deadpan irony, tried to return Afghanistan to the Stone Age — is now using the very 21st-century invention Twitter to share its message in English, the language of the infidels it hopes to vanquish.

The account in question, @alemarahweb, has been active for five months. Its bio is in English, sort of (“The official website of islamic emirat of afghanistan”), and it exists mainly to share links to full stories on its websites.

By the way, nice touch, Taliban: Stories are accompanied by Facebook Share button.

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More News On The Taliban Tweeting In English

Taliban tweets in English, joining other militant groups that use Facebook and Twitter -- Washington Post
Follow the Taliban -- now on Twitter -- MSNBC
Taliban joins Twitter... but 'follows' updates of children's circus and army charity -- The Daily Mail
Taliban begin tweeting in English, add followers -- CNN
Taliban join the Twitter revolution -- The Guardian
Tweet the Taliban? Terror Group Joins Twitter -- FOX News
Social Media Revolution: The Taliban are on Twitter, post tweets in English -- New York Daily News
Taliban Joins Twitter -- Tech2
The Taliban tweets -- Passport/Foreign Policy

How Mexican Drug Gangs Use Twitter To Stay Ahead Of The Police

To Battle Cartels, Mexico Weighs Twitter Crackdown -- Time Magazine

Mexican drug cartels appear to have adopted a new technique to avoid military raids and police checkpoints: using Facebook and Twitter. And so now the Mexican government is trying to crack down ... on the use of Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook has been on the radar of government officials who believe that it has been used to facilitate the abduction of the relatives of powerful businessmen and politicians, with kidnappers allegedly using the social-networking site to discover the identities of a high-profile person's family members. Meanwhile, authorities, already peeved that ordinary citizens have been using Twitter to alert one another to the locations of Breathalyzer checkpoints via @antiaa_df, are now furious that drug dealers are using Twitter accounts to circumvent dragnets and communicate with one another.

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My Comment: This is an ominous and wrong move by the Mexican Government. But faced with a growing war against narco gangs, they may (in the end) have no choice.

How Twitter Threatens Hugo Chavez's Stranglehold On Media

Students take part in a demonstration against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas Jan. 27, 2010. Venezuelan cable providers, responding to government orders, stopped showing the RCTV Internacional TV station on Sunday, a station critical of the left-wing leader who pushed its free-access parent RCTV off free-access television in 2007. Photo from the Globe And Mail

From FOX News:

Fierce and growing protests over media freedom have left at least two students dead in Venezuela, and graphic images depicting violent tactics employed by the police there have started to flood the Internet.

The greatest threat to Hugo Chavez's future just might be the World Wide Web.

Fierce and growing protests over media freedom have left at least two students dead in Venezuela, and graphic images depicting violent tactics employed by the police there have started to flood the Internet.

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My Comment: Coverage of these demonstrations and the violent reactions from the Venezuelan police have been completely absent from the main stream media in the west. Twitter, YouTube, Facebook .... these are now the tools for modern day protest and political action.

HMS Ark Royal Becomes First Royal Navy Ship To Sign Up To Twitter

Messages posted online includes information about a chemical training exercise, complete with images of the crew in protective suits and respirators

From The Daily Mail:

It was a Government warning to loose-lipped members of the British public during the Second World War: 'Careless Talk Costs Lives'.

The slogan was the centrepiece of a high-profile campaign to warn people about the danger of unwittingly giving titbits of valuable information to enemy sympathizers.

But it appears Royal Navy sailors today are less likely to heed the message.

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My Comment: I predict that it will only be a matter of time before everyone (in the military) is hooked up to a social network .... regardless of what the "higher-ups" may say.

Rise Of The "Iranian Cyber Army"

Screenshots: The regular Twitter site (l.) was replaced with an image from 'The Iranian Cyber Army' for a time early Friday. Screengrab/Newscom

Twitter Hacked: 'Iranian Cyber Army' Signs Off With Poem To Khamenei -- Christian Science Monitor

Twitter was hacked by the 'Iranian Cyber Army,' an unknown group. Though its website indicated no links with Iran authorities, a Farsi poem on its page suggests that those who were behind the message could have been loyalists to Iran's Islamic system of rule.

Hack attacks on Twitter and Iranian opposition websites are directing traffic to a web page created by the “Iranian Cyber Army.” The page is all black with a green flag and red lettering that reads in English: “This site has been hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army."

The site indicated no link between the “Iranian Cyber Army” and the Iranian government. But Twitter and Facebook have been critical tools used by the opposition to mobilize street protests since June, and authorities in Iran have frequently targeted them and shut them down.

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More News On "Iran's Cyber Army"

Twitter hacked by 'Iranian Cyber Army' -- AFP
Iranian Cyber Army Takes Down Twitter, Sort Of -- Techland
Twitter Hack: Part Of Broader Iranian Strategy -- Washington Post
Twitter Disrupted by Web Attack -- New York Times
Pro-Iranian hackers hit Twitter and opposition websites -- BBC
Twitter investigates DNS hijack -- Security Focus
Twitter's Love-Hate Relationship With Iran -- PC World

Why Twitter Went Offline Yesterday

Twitter Down: It's an Online Attack on One Political Blogger -- ABC News

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube Hit By Attack on Activist in Former Soviet Republic


Twitter, Facebook, LiveJournal, Google Blogger and other Web sites were hobbled Thursday -- Twitter was completely down for many users -- and it all appears to have been because of a coordinated online attack on one political blogger in the Republic of Georgia.

The man called himself "Cyxymu." ABC News tracked him down in Tblisi, Georgia, and spoke to him by phone.

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My Comment: I guess someone in Russia does not like the message that is coming out of Georgia.

Russia Furious With EU Over Twitter Revolution

Demonstrators at a rally in Chisinau yesterday, after Moldova's Communist rulers arrested scores of opposition protesters. Reuters

From The Independent:

Moscow backs Moldovan President after he accuses Romania of supporting coup.

The crisis in Moldova, dubbed the "Twitter Revolution", was last night threatening to turn into another showdown between Russia and the West. Just weeks after Barack Obama's government spoke of "pressing the reset button" with Russia, the conflict risks derailing the fragile diplomatic truce.

Russia gave its backing yesterday to Moldova's President, Vladimir Voronin, when he accused EU and Nato member Romania of backing a coup attempt, and expelled the Romanian ambassador. Mr Voronin promised "harsh punishment" would be meted out to the organisers of protests which rocked the capital Chisinau on Tuesday after the ruling Communists claimed victory in weekend parliamentary elections.

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My Comment: Welcome to the New Brave World .... technology propelling social and economic events that cannot be controlled by government or their allies. For authoritarian regimes .... this is a nightmare scenario.