In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
My God! What more terrible secrets is the CIA keeping from America?:
The US Central Intelligence Agency classified as "secret" and withheld from public dissemination for nearly 29 years a prank terrorist threat against Santa Claus, according to documents released.
They say "prank" but how does one really know?
"A new organization of uncertain makeup using the name 'Group of the Martyr Ebenezer Scrooge' plans to sabotage the annual courier flight of the Government of the North Pole," the CIA said in its December 17, 1974 "Weekly Situation Report on International Terrorism."
"Prime Minister and Chief Courier S. Claus has been notified and security precautions are being coordinated worldwide by the CCCT working group," it said, identifying the night of December 24-25, 1974 as the date for the planned "sabotage."
Oh, yeah. Its a prank all right. Phew! Last think we need is an attack against ol' St. Nick, ya know?
Anyway, the point of the article is that the CIA hid this prank for many a year.
Despite the dubious nature of the threat to Father Christmas, the CIA blacked out all references to it when the situation report was declassified in 1999, according to the documents.
The documents, which include the original report as well as the redacted version released to the public in 1999, were released by the National Security Archive as part of its campaign against the "overclassification" of government files.
"The CIAs secret Santa leads the archives lengthy compilation of declassified documents that illustrate the arbitrary and capricious decision making that all too often characterizes the US governments national security secrecy system," it said in a statement.
I agree the CIA hides too much. I agree the govenment makes some arbitrary decisions on what to characterize as secret. Heck the Bush adminstration seems to want anything that might be a discredit to their leadership a national secret (News Flash: it ain't no national secret this administration sucks). But folks. It was a joke, and they were embarassed that they had placed a joke in such a serious report. They were trying to hide a meaningless prank. It happens. Its natural. Its like a guy wanting to hide an affair with an intern. Its wrong. Its stupid. But it ain't a capital offense. (though the latter one can get you impeached).
- rob 4:18 PM - [PermaLink] -
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