Blackwater collaborated with CIA in assassination operation

Jeremy Scahill provies some coverage in the Nation. Blackwater has a much closer relationship with certain parts of the government than many, including myself, would find appropriate. Also see Bill Moyer's interview with Scahill on his book about Blackwater.

Bush administration implemented additional surveillance programs

It has come to light that George W. Bush authorized surveillance that went beyond what the NSA has been known to be doing for a few years now. Furthermore, there is an even more secret program that the CIA refuses to tell us (or apparently, even congress) about. Not surprisingly, it was Dick Cheney himself who ordered this program's concealment from our representatives. Darth Vader strikes again.

Obama administration tries to block release of torture memos

In another bout of political CYA, current senior national security aide John Brennan, who played a prominent role in the past administration's intelligence efforts, is trying to block publication of torture memos that will likely implicate many in the current and former administrations. As Turley notes, the only person that can break this blockade is Obama, who will now have to personally order the documents to be released.

Time to show what you're made of, Barack. The right thing to do is release these memos, even if (and especially if) it will trigger a war crimes investigation that brings nearly the whole government under scrutiny.

Update: More on Greenwald

TIA is back with a new name (suprise!)

Be afraid. Be very afraid. TIA never went away, of course, when congress banned it in 2003. It simply got its name changed. Now it is known as ADVISE -- Analysis, Dissemination, Visualization, Insight and Semantic Enhancement. Nice doublespeak name. Infowars says it best:

"Shortly after the announcement of TIA, the Pentagon backtracked and told us that TIA was shutting down, but the tools are there waiting to be used, They'll just rename it and start it up again at any given time. The Tools of TIA include "LifeLog" which is described as "a multimedia, digital record of everywhere you go and everything you see, hear, read, say and touch". Another tool is the MATRIX database, A federally funded crime database run by multiple states at once.

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The National Journal reported that the program is now accessed by, among others: the NSA, the CIA, DIA, CENTCOM, the National Counterterorrism Center, the Guantanamo prison, and Special Operations Command (SOCOM)... Big Brother is most definitely still watching. Enjoy watching your tax dollars at work watching you."