Obama Declares Global Cyberwar: Homeland Repression And Lawless Aggression
06 February 2013
By Stephen Lendman
Throughout his tenure, Obama governed lawlessly for
the monied interests that own him. He's waged
no-holds-barred war on humanity.
Strategy includes homeland tyranny, fear-mongering,
saber rattling, hot wars, proxy ones, drone ones,
domestic political ones, geopolitical ones, financial
ones, anti-populist ones, sanctions, subversion,
sabotage, targeted assassinations, mass murder,
cyberwar, and more.
In May 2009, Obama prioritized cybersecurity. He
called cyber-threats "one of the most serious economic
and national security challenges we face as a nation."
"America's economic prosperity in the 21st century
will depend on cybersecurity."
He ordered a top-to-bottom review. A Cyberspace Policy
Review report followed. He waged cyberwar on Iran. He
did so cooperatively with Israel.
In spring 2010, Iranian intelligence discovered
Stuxnet malware contamination. The computer virus
infected its Bushehr nuclear facility. At the time,
operations were halted indefinitely.
Israel was blamed. Washington was involved. Had the
facility gone online infected, Iran's entire
electrical power grid could have been shut down.
A more destructive virus called Flame malware is
known. Internet security experts say it's 20 times
more harmful than Stuxnet. Iran's military-industrial
complex is targeted. So is its nuclear program.
Maximum disruption is planned.
Obama supports draconian cybersecurity bills. Passage
threatens constitutional freedoms.
Targeted assassinations eliminate America's enemies.
Lawless domestic spying is policy. So is warrantless
wiretapping. Americans are as vulnerable as others.
Obama's waging war on humanity. He's doing it multiple
ways. Last October, he signed an executive order. It
expanded military authority. It authorized
cyberattacks. It redefined defense. Doing so lawlessly
legitimizes aggression.
In November, Presidential Policy Directive 20
followed. It's secret. It set guidelines for
confronting cyberspace threats.
Last fall, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned of a
"cyber Pearl Harbor." It could "cause physical
destruction and loss of life," he said. It could
"paralyze and shock the nation and create a new
profound sense of vulnerability."
US officials never lack for hyperbole. Fear-mongering
is longstanding policy. So are Big Lies, false flags,
and other pretexts for wars, other military actions,
and disruptive ones.
Cyberwar capability adds to America's arsenal.
Preemption adds another dirty tactic.
In early February, US media reports headlined
stepped-up cyberwar. Preemption is prioritized. Nation
states, organizations, and individuals are fair game.
US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) has full operational
control. It's a cyber hit squad. It's part of the US
Strategic Command.
It's based at Fort Meade, MD. General Keith Alexander
serves as National Security Agency (NSA) director and
US Cyber Command head.
The New York Times cited a secret legal review. It
affords Obama sweeping preemptive cyberattack powers.
It permits him "to order a preemptive strike if the
United States detects (allegedly) credible evidence of
a major digital attack looming from abroad."
His word alone is policy. Corroborating evidence isn't
needed. Efforts to protect classified and proprietary
information are increasing.
The Washington Post said wireless and technology
giants are battling over a plan to create super Wi-Fi
networks.
The Wall Street Journal said Google, Microsoft and
Amazon are competing to control cloud computing
business.
The Christian Science Monitor said preemptive cyberwar
entered America's arsenal. It "nugded up along side
other" approved tactics and techniques.
New policies govern how intelligence agencies work.
They've been unrestrained before. They'll have greater
powers now.
The New York Times said they'll be able to "carry out
searches of faraway computer networks for signs of
potential attacks on the United States and, if the
president approves, attack adversaries by injecting
them with destructive code - even if there is no
declared war."
Rules of engagement are classified. Effectively there
are none. Cyber-warriors are freewheeling. They're
unrestrained.
They'll operate anywhere globally. China is a target
of choice. It's America's main economic and
geopolitical competitor.
An unnamed US official said new cyberwar strategy is
"far more aggressive than anything" used or
recommended before. The gloves are off. Anything goes.
Major disruptions can occur without firing a shot.
Military and/or civilian power grids can be crippled.
So can financial systems and communications networks.
Another unnamed US official said cyberweapons are so
powerful that "they should be unleashed only by"
presidential order. Exceptions would be tactical
strikes.
Examples include disabling command and control as well
as ground radar ahead of conventional strikes. At the
same time, most cyberoperations are presidential
prerogatives.
Expect Obama to take full advantage. Extrajudicial
operations are prioritized. Rule of law principles are
spurned. Operational procedures have been in
development for over two years.
They're headlined now. They coming out when
cyberattacks more often target US companies and
critical infrastructure. An unnamed US power station
was crippled for weeks.
The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street
Journal reported cyberattacks. Obama prioritizes
preemption. Doing so has no legal standing.
Self-defense alone is justified. Acting on suspicions
without evidence is aggression.
New rules serve Washington. Lawyers get marching
orders. They're well paid to subvert accepted legal
standards. Doing so doesn't change them.
What constitutes "reasonable and proportionate force"
resides in the eye of the aggressor. New guidelines
exclude the Pentagon from defending US companies or
individuals without presidential authority.
Doing so is Homeland Security's prerogative. The FBI
has investigatory authority. Cybersecurity legislation
remains stalled in Congress. Expect stepped up efforts
for passage.
Doing so will more greatly comprise freedom.
Full-blown tyranny approaches. It's a hair's breadth
away. Whistleblowers are targeted. Dissent is
endangered.
There's no place to hide. Big Brother's expanding
exponentially. Cyber-preemption adds greater police
state power.
On February 3, a Washington Post editorial headlined "Cyberwar,
out of the shadows," saying:
US Cyber Command is expanding exponentially. Doing so
"is indicative of how conflict is moving toward center
stage for the military, a domain similar to land, sea,
air and outer space."
It's heading America toward unchallenged dominance.
In May 2000, the Pentagon's Joint Vision 2020 called
for "full spectrum dominance" over all land, surface
and sub-surface sea, air, space, electromagnetic
spectrum and information systems with enough
overwhelming power to fight and win global wars
against any adversary.
Doing so includes nuclear weapons use preemptively.
Non-nuclear countries and adversaries are fair game.
Cyber Command includes:
(1) "Combat mission forces" cooperatively with
military units.
(2) "Protection forces" to defend Pentagon networks.
(3) "National mission forces" to head off threats to
critical infrastructure. They'll operate outside
America. They'll function anywhere if authorized.
They'll strike US adversaries preemptively.
Targeting cuts both ways. Incoming attacks can precede
or follow US ones. Secrecy is prioritized but
compromised. Spies have clever ways of doing it.
Rules of engagement aren't clear. Public information
is limited. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Policy
need generous doses.
"If conflict in cyberspace is underway," said the
Post, "then it is important to sustain support for the
resources and decisions to fight it, and that will
require more candor."
Expect little forthcoming from the most secretive
administration in US history. Obama's first term
prioritized homeland repression and lawless
aggression. Imagine what he has in mind for term two.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be
reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book
is titled "How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized
Banking, Government Collusion and Class War"
http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit his
blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
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