Julius Caesar didn't have a "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy in the Roman Legion. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

A Pentagon study revealed that most service members don’t care if the DADT policy is repealed or not. Partial findings of the report indicated that a majority of active duty military personnel thought repealing DADT would have no effect. Most polls have indicated most Americans are for repealing the policy.

Study says service personnel don’t ask, tell or care

A study begun by the Pentagon several months ago, at the behest of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, has revealed that most service personnel don’t think about the controversial “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, according to ABC. The finding from the study was leaked some time ago by the Washington Post, much to the consternation of Gates, though it seems the government has been having a problem with leaked documents lately. The leaked portion of the study included the finding that 70 percent of respondents did not believe that DADT repeal would actually have any effect on anything in the military. The survey was sent to 400,000 service members and 150,000 spouses of military personnel. Of those, less than 30 percent responded.

Most Americans back repeal of DADT

Polls and surveys from the last few years have been indicating that more Americans are for the repeal of the DADT policy. A CNN poll indicated that more than 70 percent of Americans embrace repealing DADT, and a recently released Pew Research poll said 58 percent of Americans were for repealing DADT policy according to CNN. Surveys, polls and statistics only ultimately indicate something about the subjects of the surveys and polls that actually respond, and the country’s true opinion may be different. However, it does appear that more people are for getting rid of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Issue likely to be settled soon

This issue will likely be settled in the next legislative session. Debate raged over “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” and allowing homosexuals to serve for years. Homosexuality was grounds for discharge for decades. The military was also segregated until an executive order from President Truman ended racial discrimination in the service.

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The Pentagon shooter struck again Friday at the Marine Corps Museum and security has been tightened for Sunday's Marine Corps Marathon. Image: CC gregwest98/Flickr

Bullet holes were found at the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico, Va., for the second time in two weeks on Friday. Investigators have linked shots fired at the Pentagon and two other Marine Corps buildings in the past two weeks to the same weapon and expect the same for the latest shooting. Security has been tightened at the Pentagon, where the Marine Corps Marathon will pass by on Sunday.

More bullet holes for Marine Corps Museum

More bullet holes were found on the exterior of the Marine Corps Museum in Virgina near Washington, D.C., Friday morning. CNN reports that the bullet holes were found on the side of the building facing Interstate 95. The FBI said the shots were likely fired from the interstate sometime in the middle of the night. No one was in the building at the time. The shooting Thursday night is the second time in less than two weeks someone has shot at the Marine Corps museum. The FBI has linked a shooting less than two weeks ago at the museum to shots fired at the Pentagon and a nearby Marine Corps recruiting station.

The path of the Pentagon shooter

The string of shootings at military buildings around Washington began on Oct. 17 with the first attack on the Marine Corps Museum. Two days later a large force of police and FBI agents descended on the Pentagon after six shots were fired that shattered two windows. Following the third shooting at the Marine Corps recruiting station, authorities said all three incidents have been tied to the same high-powered rifle. No one has been hurt in any of the attacks and no suspects have been identified.

Marine Corps Marathon tightens security

The FBI has made a plea for the shooter to surrender. FBI Washington special agent John Perrin told MSNBC that investigators say the shooter has a problem with the Marine Corps but not the military in general. The method of the shooter’s madness indicates that whoever it is has taken steps to make sure no one gets hurt. Even so, the Pentagon said security will have a larger presence than normal during Sunday’s Marine Corps marathon. More than 30,000 marathon runners will be passing by the Defense Department’s headquarters.

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(Thinkstock)

WikiLeaks has been put on the map for exposing military secrets, specifically involving the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the site is at it again. WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization founded by human rights campaigners, journalists and the general public, is about to expose an estimated 400,000 documents on the war in Iraq that are not on public record.

What does WikiLeaks have this time?

The information is expected to be more than four times the size of the highly controversial documents released in July. That month there was widespread fear that the documents released would not only expose secret military ops and details, but also endanger the lives of hundreds of people. There was fear that released names of Afghans who helped Americans could result in their deaths.

There were more than 70,000 documents released in July, but Robert Gates, U.S. Defense Secretary, has stated that the documents did not actually reveal any sensitive information, such as intelligence sources or any used methods. However, he followed that up by stating that releasing any names of Afghans who has helped NATO could cause “significant harm or damage to national security interests of the United States.”

The Pentagon’s reaction

A team of more than 120 people are ready to go over the documents in detail and take any precautions necessary to protect anyone who may be harmed by this release. WikiLeaks, however, stated it made sure there were no names released in the last disclosure of documents that could harm anyone’s well-being. The 400,000-plus new documents are going to be released by the New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegal, the same organizations that released the Afghanistan “War Logs.”

No payday loan could not be large enough to stop this release. The real question is, when will all the documents be published, and what will happen next?

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In an unprecedented attempt at censorship, the Pentagon wants to buy the entire first printing of Operation Dark Heart. Image: CC pcorreia/Flickr

“Operation Dark Heart” is the latest book to get the kind of publicity money can’t buy. This time it comes courtesy of the Pentagon. Military intelligence officials said “Operation Dark Heart,” the memoir by a former intelligence officer in Afghanistan, reveals classified information damaging to national security. To suppress the book, the Pentagon, flush with Defense Department cash, simply plans to buy the entire first printing and burn it.

‘Operation Dark Heart’ sneaks past Pentagon

“Operation Dark Heart” is by Anthony A. Shaffer, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer and currently a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve. It’s a first-person account of five months Shaffer spent in 2003 as a DIA officer based at Bagram Air Base near Kabul in Afghanistan. The New York Times reports that Army reviewers approved “Operation Dark Heart” in January. The publisher, St. Martin’s Press, planned to release the book Aug. 31. But the DIA didn’t see the manuscript until July, when it determined that the book contained classified information. By then, several dozen copies of the book had already been sent out to reviewers and online booksellers.

‘Operation Dark Heart’ content

Some of the allegedly classified information in “Operation Dark Heart” concerns a pre-9/11 operation called “Able Danger,” which Shaffer claims identified hijacker Mohammed Atta as a threat before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. According to Fox News, the DIA wants passages removed where Shaffer alleges he told the 9/11 Commission that Able Danger knew about Atta as early as 2000. Atta was the leader of the 9/11 hijackers and piloted American Airlines Flight 11 into the World Trade Center. A report released later by the Department of Defense concluded there was no evidence to support Shaffer’s claims.

Burning fans flames for bestselling book

The Pentagon is negotiating with Shaffer’s publisher to buy the entire first printing of “Operation Dark Heart.” The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon’s plan is to destroy all 10,000 copies. A second printing, without passages disputed by the DIA, is being prepared by St. Martin’s press. The first printing is sitting on pallets in a Virginia warehouse. But the Times bought a copy online late last week. “Operation Dark Heart” is currently #19 on Amazon’s bestseller list but listed as “temporarily out of stock.”

More Government secrets leaked on WikiLeaks. CC by WikiLeaks/Wikimedia Commons

The release of documents pertaining to the war in Afghanistan by WikiLeaks has been the cause of a great deal of controversy. Though WikiLeaks maintains it would never release any information that could put soldiers in danger, the release of somewhat sensitive documents has continued. A recent release from the site is quite interesting. It’s a CIA document exploring whether the U.S. exports terrorism. The Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon have decried the release, though disclosed that the document does not pose any actual risk.

WikiLeaks releases classified CIA paper

An internal CIA report, which was classified, was published on WikiLeaks, according to CNN. The paper, “What if Foreigners see the United States as ‘Exporter of Terrorism?’” explores the possibility of America or Americans possibly having exported terrorism. It isn’t known how the document was obtained. There are examples, of course. Irish Americans funding the IRA and Jewish Americans funding Israeli terrorist groups, for instance. The report is mostly about potential fallout. The main concern is what could happen if other countries see the U.S. as an exporter of terrorism.

All in a day’s work at Red Cell

The CIA has a group called Red Cell. The report was obviously produced by this group. The purpose of Red Cell is to examine any weaknesses or theories that challenge conventional dogma of U.S. policy. Basically, this group thinks outside the box. The CIA and the Pentagon have both condemned the latest leak. The CIA knows the report isn’t threatening, but the CIA and the Department of Defense want all of their materials back.

WikiLeaks head honcho in hot water

There is nothing new about scandals concerning WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange. Recently, he was arrested in Sweden for rape. Since he wasn’t in Sweden at the time, the arrest was in absentia. The judge presiding over the case dropped charges the day after they were filed. Assange attributes the charges to governments colluding to smear him in the press. He has been in legal trouble before. He was convicted of hacking in Australia, his native land.

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The Pentagon City Metro Station, where John Patrick Bedell arrived at the Pentagon. Image from Flickr.

Yesterday evening, a man officials believe to be John Patrick Bedell in a business suit and armed with two semi-automatic weapons opened fire on the Pentagon. He was killed in the ensuing gunfight, but John Patrick Bedell leaves behind a digital archive laden with conspiracy theories, anti-government manifestos, and new economy theories based on “information currency” – kind of online loans, mostly posted as the user JPatrickBedell.

The Pentagon shooting

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the shooting at the Pentagon appeared to be well-planned. John Patrick Bedell wore a business suit and walked calmly to the Pentagon from the subway station. When he reached a checkpoint and was asked for identification, he pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and began shooting. The officers at the checkpoint immediately returned fire, and Bedell was fatally wounded. The Washington Post reports that “Officers Jeffrey Amos and Marvin Carraway were superficially wounded, one in the shoulder and one in the thigh.” The entire incident was over in just a few minutes, though the Pentagon itself was locked down for a few hours and the subway platform continues to be locked down while John Patrick Bedell’s shooting is investigated.

The digital trail of JPatrickBedell

It appears thus far that John Patrick Bedell was a well-educated and savvy 36 year old from California. His digital archive runs deep, and includes accounts on multiple popular websites. It also includes blog posts and arguments with Wikipedia editors. Taken together, this digital trail builds a picture of JPatrickBedell the user and John Patrick Bedell the person. It appears that he had strong libertarian leanings and was a conspiracy theorist who had strong suspicions that the government was behind 9/11 and other terrorist plots.

JPatrickBedell on YouTube

There is a channel on Youtube with the username jpbedell2006, which the New York Times Blog and others have connected to John Patrick Bedell. The only video available on that channel was uploaded in 2006, and outlines his theory of “Information Currency”. The theory seems to outline a system where users create content and then upload it in return for digial currency they can use however they like – giving them money to lend or to spend as they see fit.

JPatrickBedell on Wikipedia

John Patrick Bedell was also an active Wikipedia user. Though Wikipedia itself has since deleted John Patrick Bedell’s user profile, it is still available on the mirror site Bazpedia. Some of the highlights of this profile include statements such as:

My hope is to use the creativity of markets and advanced technology to transcend the destructive regimes that have fastened themselves upon the world. I have dreamed for an number of years of creating v:production econosystems, which I hope to apply to the creation of v:security service econosystems using new and economic mechanisms and information technology.

I am determined to see that justice is served in the death of Colonel James Sabow, as a step toward establishing the truth of events such as the September 11 demolitions

One desired result of my effort is (will be) billions and billions of carefully cultivated, highly valuable cannabis plants growing throughout the United States with complete security of property. I have posted the image to the right in order to illustrate the use of cannabis as a monetary system using digital financial instruments.

There is also an extensive record of the disagreements user JPatrickBedell had with the editors of Wikipedia on his user discussion page.

The Impact of John Patrick Bedell

While it is still far too early to know entirely what impact John Patrick Bedell will have, there are a few things known for certain. The user JPatrickBedell created an extensive record of himself on the internet, and with this shooting he appears to be gaining a larger audience for his message. The Pentagon and D.C. police have also teamed up with the F.B.I. to investigate this shooting as extensively as possible. It will be worth keeping a very close eye on the developments in the case of John Patrick Bedell.