Breaking News: Arthur Houghton has uncovered this shocking information which I publish in full. I direct all inquiries to him. I would have not believed it myself, save for all the recent revelations of Government misconduct at State, the IRS and NSA:
Peter, it has come to my attention that the FBI, Criminal Justice Information Systems, has begun to surreptitiously monitor your blog and in particular the several exchanges that we have had in recent days. I have this information from sources that are internal to the Bureau and that I do not wish to reveal further -- but I can say that they are firm and incontrovertible. It is a remarkable event, unparalleled in my experience, but consistent with what we now know about the monitoring of US citizens by our national security services.
The fact that this information should become known to us, moreover, should be an extreme embarrassment to the Bureau -- even a breach of security. I submit that the Department of Justice Inspector General should be asked to investigate who is doing the monitoring, whether they have been authorized to do so and if so by whom, what legal authority lies behind it, and whether there are others, perhaps many others, who are being subjected to the same secret surveillance.
Would you be good enough to let me have your thoughts on this?
Many thanks,
Arthur
6 comments:
While I am not pleased with all this monitoring, I see it necessary so that we do not experience another 9/11. As for someone monitoring this blog....doubt it. I think paranoia has taken over many people who also have an another axe to grind. Remember too that this is a program that started in 2001. Enough said. JMO.
Thank you for the comment. Yes, that is the hope, but not sure how monitoring a blog will help that-unless one claims as some in the archaeological community do that collecting supports terrorism. In any event, I've looked over recent views of my blog and found this evidence that the FBI is looking. The blog post was about an article concerning the ACCG's case testing import restrictions on Cypriot and Chinese coins. One would hope that asking the courts to construe a statute and regulations would not be considered a terroristic threat, but in some quarters perhaps it is considered as such:
13 Jun 10:57:27
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Arlington,
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Fbi Criminal Justice Information Systems (153.31.113.27)
culturalpropertyobserver.blogspot.com/2012/10/ancient-coin-trade-fights-back
.html
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<http://www.google.com/search?sa=t&rct=j&q=arthur%2Bhoughton%2Bcoin%2Bresear
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google.com - arthur+houghton+coin+research #14
Arthur Houghton asked me to post this:
Peter, and JMO, the concern I have is less about the surveillance and more about the fact that the Bureau left its fingerprints for anyone to find. Standard tradecraft says that unless there is good reason to the contrary (e.g. intimidation), surveillance should be silent and invisible. If the CJIS is letting us know all about it, then who else are they letting know? Probably many. And as someone who supports the system while remaining deeply suspicious of its possible misuse, I find that just flat-out amateurish. Not like the Bureau I know, and not like the Bureau I expect. The FBI's IG should take this one on.
Best regards,
Arthur"
Even worse while the FBI is investigating the ACCG's test case, other pages on CPO reveal that agents of influence for the Government of Cyprus--- a Government that nearly brought down the European banking system and which has harbored Russian spies-- have evidently infiltrated the State Department and have been responsible for a major change in US policy on the import of collectors' coins. Now that would be something for the FBI to investigate. Of course, we should be sorry for what has happened to the Cypriot people and its churches and Icons to the Turkish Invasion, but that does not excuse what happened or for ignoring US law.
"cyprus nearly brought down the european banking system"
come on peter,what an absurd comment to make.the cypriot economy is only %0.2 of gdp of the eurozone and that is why they left her out to dry.what other bailout included stealing from private citizens bank accounts.the move was unprecedented.can you imagine that happening in the us.the only thing that brought the world banking system to the brink was greedy bankers in the us sub prime loans scandals that were bundling up bad debt and selling it in on to other greedy bankers in europe.
as for the fbi taking an intrest in your blog,maybe the derogatory and personal attacks by some accg members on us public officials has something to do with it.ive lost count of how many snide remarks and innuendos i have read against people holding public offices,judges,courts,some even saying they deserve to be hung.of course they are going to take an intrest.
kyri.
Kyri, perhaps you and a few others can't recognize satire when you see it. As for the FBI, we have freedom of speech in the US and derogatory comments about public officials should not provoke their interest. If it did, I suggest that they undertake a full investigation of Mr. Barford. He is obviously anti-American and has said some terrible things about US Congressmen, US Senators, former President Bush and most recently some snide comments about former President Carter.
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