Individual Liberty — Individual Responsibility

For those we lost, We will not forget 09/11/2001

“Our God given unalienable rights are given to us all as individuals. They tell us what me may do for ourselves, and they are the embodiment of liberty. The so-called rights that government gives to some of us are parcelled out to select groups as classes. They tell us what one class of people may require another to do for them, and they are the very essence of slavery.”
— Perri Nelson, February 9, 2010

A bheil Gàidhlig agaibh?

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Who's spying on U.S. Defense Contrators?

Published Thu, Jan 11 2007 10:33 AM
Technorati Tags: News and Politics

The A.P. (via the Seattle Times) reports that someone has been planting spy-gadgets almost worthy of James Bond on American contractors travelling through Canada.

WASHINGTON — Can the coins jingling in your pocket trace your movements?

The Defense Department is warning its American contractor employees about a new espionage threat seemingly straight from Hollywood: It discovered Canadian coins with tiny radio-frequency transmitters hidden inside.

In a U.S. government report, the department said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.

...

Further details were secret, according to the U.S. Defense Security Service, which issued the warning to the Pentagon's classified contractors.

"What's in the report is true," said Martha Deutscher, a spokeswoman for the security service. "This is indeed a sanitized version, which leaves a lot of questions."

...

Experts said hiding tracking technology inside coins is fraught with risks because the spy's target might inadvertently give away the coin or spend it.

They agreed, however, that a coin with a hidden tracking device might not arouse suspicion if it were discovered loose in a pocket or briefcase.

This seems like a pretty weird bit of news to me. Who are the chief suspects? According to the article it could be Russia, or China, or this could all be about corporate espionage.

I wonder how hard it will be to corner the market on tinfoil?

Trackposted to Rightwing Guy, The Random Yak, Big Dog's Weblog, basil's blog, Pirate's Cove, Stuck On Stupid, Conservative Cat, Pursuing Holiness, Right Voices, and Gone Hollywood, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.