[Peace-discuss] Pres. Obama: Tap Sen. Ron Wyden to Head the NSA

[Robert Naiman]

I think the fact that Brennan, not Petraeus, is now head of the CIA is
making a difference. Fewer civilians are getting killed in U.S. drone
strikes. It's been many months since TBIJ has recorded a civilian death in
Pakistan from a CIA drone strike.




On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 7:32 PM, C. G. Estabrook <cge at shout.net> wrote:

> While the CIA has often been headed by civilians. What difference did it
> make?
>
>
>
> On Oct 19, 2013, at 7:27 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org>
> wrote:
>
> Did you know that since the NSA was founded in 1952, it's never been
> headed by a civilian?
>
> "But Binney said he would like to see the agency's management handed over
> to a civilian. Since its founding in 1952, the NSA, part of the Department
> of Defense, has always had a military leader."
>
>
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/17/keith-alexander-nsa-whistle-blowers_n_4118294.html
>
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 7:17 PM, C. G. Estabrook <cge at shout.net> wrote:
>
>> Put a liberal face on the same policies. It's the Obama Way.
>>
>>
>> On Oct 19, 2013, at 3:36 PM, "Robert Naiman" <noreply at list.moveon.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear C. G. Estabrook,
>> >
>> > Gen. Keith Alexander is stepping down as head of the National Security
>> Agency. Fresh, civilian leadership is needed at the NSA to ensure that the
>> NSA's surveillance activities fully comply with the letter and spirit of
>> the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and all U.S. laws.
>> >
>> > Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, a member of the Senate Intelligence
>> Committee, has been a consistent and vocal critic of blanket NSA
>> surveillance of Americans that violates the basic civil liberties
>> guarantees of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Senator Wyden
>> is an ideal candidate to restore public confidence in NSA compliance with
>> the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and all U.S. laws.
>> >
>> > Help us sway President Obama by signing and sharing our petition:
>> >
>> >
>> http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/pres-obama-tap-sen-ron?mailing_id=16259&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=1135580&r_by=2656067
>> >
>> >
>> > Here's our rap to meet two predictable objections to our campaign:
>> >
>> > "It's not realistic." No-one's offering even odds that Ron Wyden will
>> be the next head of the NSA. The point is to open political space by waging
>> preemptive psychological warfare against the idea that someone is
>> disqualified from heading the NSA if they are a civilian who believes that
>> the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are good law that apply to the
>> national security state. Just as our campaign for Jeff Sachs to be
>> President of the World Bank opened political space for the idea that the
>> President of the World Bank can be a development expert rather than a
>> banker or a politician, so this campaign will open political space for the
>> idea that the head of the NSA can be a civilian who believes in the rule of
>> law.
>> >
>> > "We need more than a new person at the top to reform the NSA." This is
>> beyond dispute. (Also true, obviously, about the World Bank.) It should
>> also be beyond dispute that it's easier for people to grab onto an
>> individual who represents an idea than it is for them to grab onto a
>> technical reform. If you advocate that Elizabeth Warren head the Fed or the
>> SEC, everyone knows what you're talking about: cracking down on corruption
>> in high finance. This is about bringing the national security state into
>> transparent compliance with the rule of law.
>> >
>> > Now that you understand our strategy, can you help us advance it by
>> signing and sharing our petition?
>> >
>> >
>> http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/pres-obama-tap-sen-ron?mailing_id=16259&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=1135580&r_by=2656067
>> >
>> > Thanks for all you do to help force the national security state to
>> transparently comply with the rule of law,
>> >
>> > Robert Naiman
>> > Just Foreign Policy
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > This message was sent to C. G. Estabrook by Robert Naiman through
>> MoveOn's public petition website. MoveOn Political Action licensed and paid
>> for this service, but does not endorse contents of this message. To
>> unsubscribe or report this email as inappropriate, click here:
>> http://petitions.moveon.org/unsub.html?i=16259-2656067-m9neMK
>> >
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>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Policy Director
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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>
>


-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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