."They Were From Military Intelligence"
April 12, 2006 By Paul Watson, L.A. Times Staff Writer
BAGRAM, Afghanistan: Black marketeers can feel the heat a long way off. So by the time U.S. soldiers came looking Tuesday, the shopkeeper had his military computer drives tucked away in a zip-lock bag on a hidden shelf.
The U.S. military said Tuesday that it was looking into reports that computer drives containing military data, some marked "secret," were available for as little as $20 in a bazaar outside its biggest base, and soldiers were visible making rounds there. But once they passed, at least two shopkeepers still offered memory drives for sale.
"They were from military intelligence," said the one with the hidden shelf as he pulled out the plastic bag containing four drives. "They won’t be able to do anything," he added, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Nearby, another fence displayed two memory drives that he said an Afghan worker on the base delivered to him after a shift change Tuesday morning. He invited a shopper to return today, when he expected four more drives to arrive
The stored data include video clips of soldiers pumping iron in the gym or kissing their kids at Christmas, as well as documents marked "secret," like briefings on targeted terrorist bases.
Then there is the sadly personal, such as the resignation letter of a military police officer, whose revelation that she was a rape victim turned up on a drive purchased at the bazaar.
One shop owner said he "washed" the drives, meaning that he erased the contents, in case U.S. soldiers came looking.
But deleted files were readily retrievable using German software downloaded from the Internet.
Under the heading "Season Ticket Holders," a diagram dated Aug. 6, 2004, shows a T-shaped table with three brigadier generals facing two colonels, five majors and a political advisor. At least 10 other officers sat away from the table.
Items on the agenda included "psyops," military jargon for psychological operations, that included campaigns in the Afghan print and radio media to "discredit" people making improvised explosive devices.
"Prepare radio news stories for local stations highlighting Afghan National Police support," read one in a list of recommended actions to help defeat a growing insurgency.
In the local bazaar, a disappointed shopkeeper who couldn’t interest a reporter in an assortment of Army binoculars, watches, bowie knives, combat boots and other U.S. military items suggested he come back in a few weeks.
A large group of American soldiers is due to go home, he said, and when soldiers pack to leave, there are always good pickings for thieves, he said.
"There are a lot of things soon to come out of Bagram," he promised.'
Source
I think the silver lining in this story is that the military is said to be investigating.
BAGRAM, Afghanistan: Black marketeers can feel the heat a long way off. So by the time U.S. soldiers came looking Tuesday, the shopkeeper had his military computer drives tucked away in a zip-lock bag on a hidden shelf.
The U.S. military said Tuesday that it was looking into reports that computer drives containing military data, some marked "secret," were available for as little as $20 in a bazaar outside its biggest base, and soldiers were visible making rounds there. But once they passed, at least two shopkeepers still offered memory drives for sale.
"They were from military intelligence," said the one with the hidden shelf as he pulled out the plastic bag containing four drives. "They won’t be able to do anything," he added, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Nearby, another fence displayed two memory drives that he said an Afghan worker on the base delivered to him after a shift change Tuesday morning. He invited a shopper to return today, when he expected four more drives to arrive
The stored data include video clips of soldiers pumping iron in the gym or kissing their kids at Christmas, as well as documents marked "secret," like briefings on targeted terrorist bases.
Then there is the sadly personal, such as the resignation letter of a military police officer, whose revelation that she was a rape victim turned up on a drive purchased at the bazaar.
One shop owner said he "washed" the drives, meaning that he erased the contents, in case U.S. soldiers came looking.
But deleted files were readily retrievable using German software downloaded from the Internet.
Under the heading "Season Ticket Holders," a diagram dated Aug. 6, 2004, shows a T-shaped table with three brigadier generals facing two colonels, five majors and a political advisor. At least 10 other officers sat away from the table.
Items on the agenda included "psyops," military jargon for psychological operations, that included campaigns in the Afghan print and radio media to "discredit" people making improvised explosive devices.
"Prepare radio news stories for local stations highlighting Afghan National Police support," read one in a list of recommended actions to help defeat a growing insurgency.
In the local bazaar, a disappointed shopkeeper who couldn’t interest a reporter in an assortment of Army binoculars, watches, bowie knives, combat boots and other U.S. military items suggested he come back in a few weeks.
A large group of American soldiers is due to go home, he said, and when soldiers pack to leave, there are always good pickings for thieves, he said.
"There are a lot of things soon to come out of Bagram," he promised.'
Source
I think the silver lining in this story is that the military is said to be investigating.
posted by madtom at 10:54 PM
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