Cryptome.org, the indispensable website for those who want to penetrate the U.S. government’s veil of secrecy, has gotten its hot little hands on a series of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) daily morning briefs, a weird mixture of the comical …
“8. (FOUO) WASHINGTON: Suspicious Individual. According to a concerned citizen, on 19 December, in Seattle, a possible Middle Eastern male approached the reporting individual, who was holding a yard sale. The individual asked about laptop computers with high speed capabilities and walkie talkies, stating he wished to purchase them for his friends overseas. The reporting citizen also noted that the individual had difficulty with driving; and understanding denominations of U.S. currency. (Concerned Citizen; HSOC 4824-04)”
… And the ominous:
“1. (FOUO) FLORIDA: ICE Agents Arrest Weapons Trafficker with Possible Ties to Terrorist Groups. According to ICE reporting, on 28 September, in Miami, ICE agents arrested a named individual for violations of the Arms Export Control Act. The named individual has been under investigation for his involvement with a South Florida-based weapons trafficking organization with alleged ties to several terrorist groups. Reportedly, the named individual was a primary supplier of ammunition and weapons to those terrorist organizations. (ICE Daily Summary Report, 28 Sep 04; HSOC 3628-04)”
As Cryptome points out, a good many of these briefs were available on the internet, via Google caches.
This is mind-boggling: is it really possible that the U.S. government still doesn’t get the internet?
Tip o’the hat to NPR.