Econo-Girl is! Hence the article in the paper. And I hope I don't look that old in person. The photo in the paper makes me look like my mother, who looks great for her age, but still.
Recently, a Federal contractor was indicted for exceeding authorized use in an FBI computer system. Let's review his crimes: he circumvented security to install a printer, he failed to get approval to install said printer from FBI HQ in Washington, DC. Further, he took the password file and demonstrated that it was not protected properly.
Econo-Girl freaked out because when she was let go, it was for exceeding authorized use of a Federal computer system. Was an indictment to follow? So she went public.
Aside from that, how is the FBI going to attract good IT people if everyone knows that installing a printer requires HQ approval, and a little initiative to improve security of a password file results in indictment?
47 comments:
I know this is bullshit. This guy was even authorized to do a penetration test but they said "he went a little far...". WTF? The Federal Bureau of Investigation will not look at anyone without a 4 year college degree. What is a 4 year degree? A LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT! It's all controlled learning. What they need are HUAMANS that don't think like protocoled computers with real life & world experience. There are THOUSANDS of people that would be a great benefit to the service if only given the chance.
I think anyone who does a little diggin on the FBI's history of clusterf*cking IT projects is likely to run screaming from any job offer that comes direct from them.
Contractors are a little different, tho... right EG? :-)
BAE has a reputation of not backing their employees. You and Colon guy are not the the only people that have been fired in the past. Remember, don't have an opinion when you are working on a contract. Even when your opinion is backed by law, policies or various other doctrines, you are just there to do what is in the scope of your contract.
I admire your courage and stand beside you against the inhumane practice of tortures such as waterboarding by the U.S. government, which have been known to have been occurring for some time now. For the U.S. to engage in torture has made its citizens much less safe, and those within our government who have condoned and in some cases even encouraged torture should be charged not only with having committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, but as also having compromised national security in grieviously serious ways.
The good news is that those in the wrong know it and are afraid, and that's probably why you were sacked. If they give you a hard time, help shine the light of truth upon them.
- aaron in seattle
I'm so sorry you were fired.They don't tolerate dissenting opinions in this administration.
It scares me.
You are speaking for millions when you raise the call against torture within the CIA. It is an act of great civic responsibility and moral courage to do so. We have a positive moral obligation to raise our voices in protest against inhumanity and injustice. Indeed, for you to be fired is a violation of your first amendment rights of free speech under the constitution, which do not disappear when you are in a "secure" environment. Thank you for your courage, patriotism, and honor.
Do contractors have any civil service protection? Would this have happened to a federal employee?
Current government utterly disinterested in attracting good people. When competent people are found, they are replaced by the incompetent or, better, the profoundly incompetent.
It's a shame your fifteen minutes of fame comes as the price for something so devastating as the loss of your career!! Hopefully, your skills translate to the mundane world outside intelligence circles.
Torture or not, sounds like someone over-reacted to your post. And where there is smoke... maybe you can write a book? :)
Keep the faith,
Jay
http://jrchase.spaces.msn.com/
We live in a time of modern day witch hunts. I too would be afraid. As long as dishonest and unscrupulous people inhabit positions of power, we all have something to fear.
One begins to believe that our intelligence agencies no longer have a net worth, when assessed against the evil they do and foster. They seem to be something left behind from another era, that has gradually mutated to a fantasy world and bizarre extremism. And now they are becoming the playthings of the fanatics that ride into power by manipulation of the public, and on corporate money. Virtuous victims like yourself can only multiply. - P. Gunkel
As a UC Berkeley student who is currently studying International Law and Human Rights this summer I commend Econo-girl for her actions and example. Loosing a job can be a traumatic experience but when I read the New York Times article concerning Econo-girl’s firing I was absolutely inspired. Often the proto-typical image of CIA employees is of cold hearted rational analyst. It is comforting to know the agency employs individuals who understand the importance of human rights. Sadly however it appears that number dwindling. It is unfortunate that the CIA lacks long term moral vision and appears only concerned in placating a short term political agenda. In the words of Alex De Tocqueville “America is great because America is good and when America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” Keep up the good fight Econo-girl and remember future generations are watching.
I have great respect for you.It has become very sad in our country that what once was considered freedom of speech has become a crime under this adminstration.Please continue to speak out and Thank you very much for making this public.
Thank you for your courage. Hopefully your action can inspire others who have access to some of the evil that our government is doing. One witness can result in another and so forth. Two plus two equals fifty thousand...and our wounds will be healed. There are many good people doing tremendously evil things. Your witness provides hope for all of us.
Rev. George J. Kuhn
Econo-Girl is hot!!
Mommy must have been hot, too :)
Thank you for your service to our country. You should be proud of your career, despite how it ended. Keep up the good fight, and best wishes!
I suggest you contact the National Security Whistleblower Coalition www.nswbc.org>. If you want to contact me, a national security whistleblower and find out a bit about my situation and goals my email is osc@tds.net my blog is whsknox.blogs.com/osc
Econo-girl,
I may not have the smarts to understand a classified blog and definately have a past that would preclude that actually being a problem....but I can comment on the question of how you look in the NYT. My opinion is that you are Top Secret Cute...for eyes only, Yowza!
By the way, as to `waterboarding'... Drowning sucks! Im on my sailboat right now boppin around and I try to avoid that particular experience at all costs! Our boy Sebastian Junger described it chillingly in the ` Perfect Storm' and I truly dont believe that our Founding Fathers would approve of this administrations `tactics'. (Its always a good question to ask What Would TJ do?)
Also what the heck is with letting those redcoat foreign b-stards (BAE)have anything to do with our Nations' defence and intelligence? (Have you ever seen the damage they did when they shelled poor lil Harve de Grace on the Chesapeake to smithereens during the War of 1812 ???!! Forget? Hell No!)
By the Way....its way cool to get fired and get to bitch about it in the Times. Normally when I got fired I was just able to go John Wayne on the Capo-Fascist and clock him in front of the other downtrodden co-worker masses.... fight the power - know what I mean?
I wanna read your play...could you post it pretty please??
Tim
You say: "Aside from that, how is the FBI going to attract good IT people if everyone knows that installing a printer requires HQ approval, and a little initiative to improve security of a password file results in indictment?". I agree but I also wonder if an organization that thinks that way deserves good IT people. Do we really want the best serving bad leaders? Sadly this country has seen a lot of rot at the top. Those who presume to lead us are not fit to lead a road cleanup crew let alone a major nation. Until we start holding our would-be leaders to a much higher standard and stop letting ourselves be stampeded by fear of Al Qa'eda I don't see how we deserve any better ourselves. We are a democracy and the leadership works for us not us for them. We have let ourselves sink to this level and it is time we took responsibility for the incredible incompetence of our leadership and started voting against the elected "leaders" that tolerate this foolishness on the part of such organizations as the FBI and the CIA. In a democracy it is the people that must bear the responsiblity for their poor choice of leaders. If our leaders are engaging in war crimes it is because we are not moral enough to say "NO".
I guess you started another type of dialog than you wanted. Things have a way of going out of control.
Just remember to take care of the every day stuff. Look out for the strong emotions that will come because of the unfairness of it all. You have the love and support of many persons. Hang in there!
I just read about you in this morning's NYT. I kept thinking your posting is exactly the kind of thing I would have done, all the while assuming I wouldn't lose my job and security access for expressing a decent, human opinion. "Non official" be damned, it's all the "non official" conversations and humor and stories we share with each other at work that make it someplace we want to involve ourselves and contribute productivity -- it's not the fear of firing, is it?
Sorry about your bind. But there's lots of tech work in the private sector, I'm a tech contractor too, fear not.
And, btw, I thought your picture looked great -- you're a cutie.
I just read about your firing and find it - like so much of what the Bush administration does - appalling.
I appaud your courage and appreciate your willingness to ask questions that this administration wants silenced.
It's astonishing that this is the best our nation can do now: fire people with morals instead of uniting us in moral action.
The only solution is for each one of us to take individual responsibility for what our government is doing.
Likewise, if every person in the C.I.A. who is against torture stood up - together - and threatened to quit if torture is not stopped - what would this administration do? Fire them all?
Yet the system is deliberately designed to promote secrecy so people cannot communicate and that cannot happen.
It is up to the rest of us who can talk openly about these things to stand up and take the risks.
Yet I note that most people who have posted comments are doing it anonymously.
The "land of the free and the home of the brave," indeed.
By the way, after reading the following post I agree that waterboarding is torture.
"The modern practice of waterboarding involves tying the victim to a board with the head lower than the feet so that he or she is unable to move. A piece of cloth is held tightly over the face, and water is poured onto the cloth. Breathing is extremely difficult and the victim will be in fear of imminent death by asphyxiation."
Of note, the ability to share the emotions of others - to empathize -
has long been thought to be what makes us fully human.
For instance, according to Dr. Christian Keysers, who studies the neural basis of empathy:
When you see someone touched in a painful way, your own pain areas are activated, he said. When you see a spider crawl up someone's leg, you feel a creepy sensation because your mirror neurons are firing.
He and other researchers have found that empathy appears to be intimately linked to the functioning of the brain's mirror neurons.
The only rational conclusion is that those who don't think torture is wrong or who find it convenient to equivocate about torture - who cannot empathize with those being tortured - have defective or underdeveloped mirror neurons.
They feel nothing when they authorize torture, feel nothing when they destroy careers, feel nothing when people die in attics in New Orleans, feel nothing when Iraqi civilians are killed by bombs, feel nothing when coffins fill up with young men and women who never should have died.
That explains so much, doesn't it?
We're being governed by a bunch of defectives.
Best of luck.
EG:
I just learned of your trials and tribulations from NY Times. My heart goes out to you (as I am sure that many more of Americans do, also). The problem I see is that BAE is an English company running some of our most-sensitive processes. Hmm..., I wonder what if there were to be a "disagreement" with the Brits? Torture and mayhem only engenders more violence against us (the U. S.). Currently, we are supporting Israel not only morally (which is one thing; but I disgree with this, also), but also materially. I cannot believe that Israel is killing all innocent civilians (euphemistcally called "collateral damage") in the name of two of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers (one of who is allegedly already killed). Doe this give Israel the right to obliterate Lebanon? If this were justifiable, then what would happen if India were to invade Pakistan for aiding and abetting the terrorist groups operating with total impunity? I wonder what we would do in that case! Would we (the U. S.) support India? Bottom line is that if we continue to support massive military action against a sovereign country, then we certainly are not going to be safe. Mind you, that I abhor what the Islamic terrorist are doing and truly appreciate what israel is doing to protect its sovereignty. One has also to bear in mind that Israel was indeed formed becuase of the so-called "terrorist actions" (as branded by the the British) by many of Israel's founding fathers. The same thing applies to our own country (Revolutionary War). What it goes to show is that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. We are NOT going to endear ourselves to the world community at large by taking very narrow-minded, myopic view on external affairs. Will Humankind ever learn from its past? Sadly, apparently, not yet! What a shame!
Federal Sub here, reported contract complaint to IG, my associates and I lots of free work for feds yrs , now Bush has homeland security , they are watching us what a joke,tapping our phones ,etc...
This is an opinion from an outsider. It astonishes me that a federal institution the likes of the CIA can be so utterly shattered by one dissenting voice that they take such aggressive action to silence that voice. It's like napalming an ant. As someone who has no connection to the intelligence community whatsoever, had you only been warned to tone down your opinions, I would never have known the CIA is so obviously fragile and scared. But, why is this giant so scared and of what or whom? We the People, perhaps?
It's more and more like "1984".
Thank you for being a voice in the wilderness and a hero in a time when most people will not stand up for what's right, what's ethical and more importantly, what's moral for fear of being cut off at the knees. You were cut off at the knees and it's a high price to pay, but now you have more in common with this great country's Founding Fathers than most elected and appointed federal officials.
I'm very sorry your career in the intelligence field has probably ended. I'm sure you face financial consequences we can't imagine. Please don't give up or back down. Being a true leader is never easy.
Again, I thank you for going public.
Do the intelligence community a favor and just do your job next time. Quit wasting taxpayer money by blogging so much! Finally, accountability in the government. Lazy people should be fired.
keep up the good work...perhaps you should write a book...
I am very sorry that you lost your job, but you kept your soul. Thank you for your courage.
I think that you are an American hero. For some reason we have forgotten how to speak truth to power in this country. I am very sorry that you lost your job. And NO you don't look that old in the picture (I am starting to see my mother in the mirror!), you look great.
Oh CC. Have we come to this? I enjoyed reading your blog whenever you posted. But to couch your having been fired on the subject matter you raised? That is simply in poor taste.
You know, I know, everyone who refreshes that page to see the latest posts knows that you were fired for an outright lie. You were full-scope, and you represented yourself as having worked with information that you did not. You shared this deception with the whole IC and proved that you cannot be trusted. If you are willing to lie about your work to folks on the inside, what else might you lie about? It's unfortunate how you got fired, but pathetic how you responded. And although you can't see the blogs anymore, trust me that its been duly noted.
Oh other anonymous, I too had the opportunity to see the post before it was removed, and I fail to see where she lied or misrepresented herself. The later posts in eM's blog comments stating that were pretty well shot down.
Hello Miss,
I'm The Ferminator of Project Camelion, A Telepathic.. I hope that you're Okay and that you do not have All Ties Cut Off like Mr. G. Man! I hope that you received White Roses from all the other Agents! I am the Great Grandson of a US Air Force/Navy Aviating Instructor of WW2. He was stationed in Virgina. I think that The Pentagon hate me because of The MIT AI DoD Sponsorship during the 1990's. I really have Cerebral Palsy even if some Agents do not believe that! I have taken Antropology of Conflict and Law at PSU. Those Pompei Crowds are rough. Those Rscals of those Amateur Radio Toro's (Secret Societies)! Good Golly Miss Molly and Axis Bold as Love too!
I could use a Friend right now Miss.
Respectfully,
Me
I umderstand all those who have their dander up, but alas Ms. EG, you knew the rules, you knew the game, you signed all the papers, you know you did, you say you have a law degree so I am sure you read each and every line...do a FOIA, get your agreement and then tell everyone what you did wrong, come on, quit being the downtrodden heroine and at least be somewhat honest about your faux pas...
You're a comi-pinko and I'm glad you got fired. You bleeding heart liberals are killing this country. Muslims love people like you and your kind will be our un-doing. Loose lips sink ships-and it's a damn good thing they took your security clearance away before you did more damage.
Dear Econo-girl
Be glad that the torturers are in the intelligence services. It keeps those perverts, who really seem to get off on their work, off the American streets.
syu9085551@aol.com
I am still in civil service. I love what I do, and I am proud to represent the local government and do what I do.
I hope you are able to find something else to do - either in the private or public sector.
Why is it that so many people in this country take all of our luxuries for granted? People of the world have and will continue to hate us regardless of how our intelligence agencies act. Freedom is NOT free. If our agents need to get their hands dirty to get the information they need so be it. If you don't agree, feel free to move to another country. I guarantee you that the police and intelligence officers in many other countries have and will continue to commit more serious atrocities against their citizens as well as ours. This is a war against terrorism. Terrorist DO NOT abide by the Geneva Convention. Is there some reason our hands should be tied by it? Think level playing field. You want security? You need these people and their techniques!
Are you honestly under the assumption that if you work for the Gov. you have the right of freedom of speech? And your saying you are an intelligent individual?
I'm sorry, however no'one is immune from big brother I assumed everyone knew that.
I wonder who decided you needed to be "eliminated"? was it a political appointee or a fed?
Based on waht I know this is absurd. You should not have been fired by BAE. You may have pissed off upstairs but BAE should have kept you--unless it was upstairs who had the power to revoke your clearance (which then opens the door for BAE to be forced to release you because there was no work for you without it).
What part of security clearance did you violate?
That notion of using govt computers is all fabricated because if they claim that then they could fire 95% of the employees feds or contractors for doing something on the computer.
What happened to those that responded to your blog--were they fired too?
It seems to me this is a way of sharing ideas and coming up with solutions--was a concept---it would be alot more effective than waterboarding. I think king george 2000 is following the practice of prior King george's.
If this were me I would be verbally trying to do by own torture and verbally chopof the legs of those upstairs.
I hope youve contacted your members of Congress.
Rove still has his job,he leaks classifed info.One wondwers if he uses an approved printer for other leaks?
Alex
CC,
You have done well. Rumor has it that you were covertly acting to weaken DNI on the agency's orders. The project was nicknamed stovepipe. Blogging across the IC will go away, but "agency only" blogs will remain and run on collaborative software developed by.....BAE.
Okay, just kidding. I, like a few other here, kept track of IC blogs. I liked yours. And when your current situation ended up on slashdot, I had to visit this blog. It's pretty good too. You sure chose one heck of a way to get readership though!
Good luck CC!
I read the news article and found it interesting enough to come here. I assume there may be more than what is reported - and to be honest, I feel badly that there are clearly a few nutjobs blogging you now (myself excluded of course). Anyways...I know this isn't match.com but, you don't look old at all; a little serious maybe...but not old! If in fact you got fired for a silly blog - then it does seem a bit harsh; given your years of service. But if there is more to it, like your some kind of a pain in the neck at work - well.......it still seems harsh - but it is what it is!
snowden2137@yahoo.com
I don't know, isn't it still nothing but an assumption -- the waterboarding thing? I've never read anything confirming the use of waterboarding by the U.S. Government. Furthermore, if Ms. Axsmith is attempting to say, in the NYT article and on her blog, she read classified information which actually confirms this practice; she does not deserve to hold a clearance. IMHO
I can understand how people may suffer from heartburn when contemplating the use of "torture" on these poor, poor, terrorists. But in my pea brain, making someone THINK they may drown is not quite as torturous as... say... CHOPPING OFF A HEAD ON VIDEO, or CRASHING AIRPLANES INTO BUILDINGS FULL OF INNOCENT PEOPLE. I say to our government, CONTINUE TO TORTURE if it will save the lives of innocent people. CONTINUE to send taliban or aq fighters to an island and feed them regularly and provide medical treatment. Strap 'em all to boards and lock 'em up for as long as this war continues. And if employees of the federal government or federal contractors choose to spill secrets, lock them up for treason.
Ms. Axsmith, I read the article and understand your initial post was not for public consumption. Thank goodness, I'm tired of learning our governments’ secrets from the press corps. However, as I said earlier, if what you said in the NYT article is meant as a confirmation of interrogation techniques used on terrorists – based on classified information you read while training in a secure area, unconfirmed by our government to date, then I think you SHOULD face criminal charges.
As far as the offense for which you were dismissed. I don't pay taxes, which pay your salary as a contractor or a federal employee, to provide you with the equipment and a forum for you to express your personal opinion at work.
Just my .02
Have a nice day.
I have never said that I had access to classified information on interrogations, or anything of the kind.
My goal in the original post was to facilitate a discussion on the topic. It is a discussion that needs to take place.
No secrets have been spilled.
No matter what side of the fence a person sits on, I don't think the opining on whether Ms. Axlsmith should be charged with anything is deserving. If the NYT article is the only facts...then it is pretty safe to assume she was discharged for a pretty silly reason, which was a private informative discussion, that just happened to be typed on a computer owned by the federal government. Is torture wrong...yes...but I am also not haive enough to think results can be had with terrorists by simply reasoning with them. Interrogators of terrorists don't tell me how to do my job - I don't tell them how to do theirs. If someones wrist has to get bent to find out when the next plane is going to hit...then by all means...if reasoning does not work, then twist that arm. It brings a whole new meaning to "Don't Ask-Don't Tell. Sorry Ms. Axlsmith - you seem like a really bright person, who at the very least cares enough to take hits from psychos on your blog, but lets call a spade a spade...do you agree? A little itssy bit?
Ummmm... econo-girl... You can lie here and no one will be the wiser. But those of us with access to the truth, are wiser.
Read your story on the Guardian's web-site, and just wanted to say you have my support and sympathy. I am currently filing a complaint with the U.S. military inspector general over a weblog.
In a nutshell: a criminal investigation (conduct unbecoming) was launched against me because 'some officer' who apparently had been reading my log for a very long time alleged that I called a general a "desk jockey", and also put down that I went drinking, dated and hated my boss. The investigation was completed a month ago, but no one's bothered to tell me the results and I've been barred from promotion, taking leave or anything of a beneficial nature.
So I empathize with you.
How to make an argument with no facts: [Paraphrasing]
"Everyone in the IC knows your lying. If only the public knew what a terrible thing you did, you would have all the credibility of a turnip.
Unfortunately, I can't give any examples of what you did, or how you are lying, because it is classified. It's terrorist loving commie pinko liberal traitors like you that are going to kill you, your aunt, and this cute little puppy."
I have to say, this is a wonderful turn in discourse. Pretty soon, we'll all be able to believe that reality is whatever we choose, with no need for those old fashioned 'fact' things to back us up.
I, for one, intend to have more fairies and unicorns in my reality when I create it. I just hope no one straps me to a board and repeatedly drowns me while I'm in my reverie.
Never anonymous,
Lee
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