CovertAction Bulletin

75 Years of Capitalism’s Invisible Army

On September 18th 1947, the main provisions of the National Security Act of 1947 went into effect. One of these was the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency, perhaps the most infamous part of the US national security state. While we pay a lot of attention these days to digital surveillance and the agencies that focus on signals intelligence like the National Security Agency and National Reconnaissance office, the CIA has and continues to play a crucial role in establishing and maintaining global US hegemony via human intelligence as well as through its covert actions, including coups, terrorism and sabotage.

Now, with that global hegemony being challenged in every hemisphere as well as with significant internal political turmoil in the United States, with significant populations on many sides of the political spectrum not trusting the so-called democratic institutions that maintain that supremacy, monitoring and exposing the CIA and all three-letter agencies is as important as ever.

We are joined for this episode by two fellow members of the CovertAction Magazine Editorial Board. Lou Wolf is a co-founder of CovertAction. John Kiriakou is a former CIA analyst and whistleblower who exposed the CIA’s torture program.

Whistleblower Exposes Apple’s Toxic Waste Cover-up, Secret Police Intimidation & Government Ties

Apple, Inc. spends billions on projecting a clean, fun and progressive image, even claiming on its website that “the products you love also love the planet.” But the reality is very different. Whistleblower Ashley Gjøvik worked at Apple’s Sunnyvale, CA office. After she discovered that the office was built on top of an EPA superfund site known as the “Triple Site,” Gjøvik was silenced and attacked by the company for trying to ensure the safety of herself, her co-workers and community.

We spend our entire episode discussing the case, exposing Apple’s environmental cover-up, the internal “secret police” they use against journalists and whistleblowers and  deep links the company has with U.S. government agencies, as well as involvement in regulatory capture - influencing government agencies with revolving door policies and offers of employment and benefits.

Ashley Gjøvik can be found on Twitter at @ashleygjovik and on the web at gjovik.co.

Tech workers demand Google and Amazon end contract that fuels Israeli apartheid

Tech workers from Google and Amazon joined forces with Pro-Palestinian organizers in to hold protests last Thursday in New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Durham, NC. At issue is Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion contract between the two companies and the Israeli government that would have the US tech giants directly profiting off the oppression of the Palestinian people. We’re joined by Sabina Wildman, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition in the San Francisco Bay Area, to talk about the protests, the striking unity of the No Tech for Apartheid movement, organizing tech workers and more.

Sign the petition and learn more at https://www.notechforapartheid.com

Let Cuba Live - End The Blockade!

For over 60 years, the United States government has been trying to overthrow the Cuban revolution. Using assassination attempts, sabotage, bombs, spies and more, Washington has made it clear over and over that it will not rest until Cuba is returned to semi-colonial status. In the face of these attacks the Cuban people have survived, going on to defend and continue to build their revolution. The efforts of socialist Cuba to develop a society based on equality and justice where all people have rights show their resilience and determination in the face of covert action the US just 90 miles away.

In this special episode, co-host Rachel Hu talks about the 10 days she recently spent in Cuba as part of a solidarity delegation. From the July 26 celebrations marking the anniversary of the Cuban revolution to the housing developments being built and upgraded to the very real effects of the US embargo, Rachel provides a critical firsthand account. We also discuss the upcoming vote on the Family Code and continuing moves being made to codify into law human dignity and respect for people of all ages, races and genders.

Image Credit: DnTrotaMundos ☮ on Wikipedia 

The Truth Behind the Africa-China ‘Debt Trap’ Myth

Allegations and accusations that China is trapping Africa into unsustainable debt agreements have dominated the conversation around Africa-China relations in Western media, but what does the data tell us?

 

The reality is that China is canceling 23 loans to African countries amid this 'Debt Trap' debate.

 

We look at the international implications of this claim, what debt trap diplomacy is, and who owns most of Africa's external debts. Featuring Sri Lanka, the African Development Bank, and the “secret” lenders they don’t tell us about, with Mikaela Nhondo Erskog researcher at TriContinental Institute for Social Research and one of the hosts of the new podcast The Crane, an African China podcast by the Dongsheng Collective.

 

Plus: we discuss Mikhail Gorbachev’s legacy, what to make of Biden’s student loan debt moves, Lindsey Graham’s threats of “riots in the streets” if Trump is prosecuted, and more.

 

Dongsheng News can be found at https://dongshengnews.org/en/

The Crane: An Africa-China Podcast is available at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crane-an-africa-china-podcast/id1635151634 as well as on Spotify and wherever podcasts are found.

Follow Dongsheng News on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DongshengNews

Ex-Head of Cybersecurity at Twitter Blows the Whistle on Cover Up of Security and Privacy Violations

Twitter’s former head of security, Peiter “Mudge” Zatko has come forward blowing the whistle on the company’s internal security practices - which he says are serious national security threats. Zatko sent the complaint and supporting documents to the Justice Department and the F.T.C. and has gone public with his concerns about the platform. We dive deeper into what it’s alleged that Twitter has been hiding and its implications.

 

We also discuss the conclusion of the trial of Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. who were convicted this week for their attempted kidnapping plot on Michigan Governor Whitmer. We parse through the growing threat of right-wing domestic terrorism and what the role of the state in all of this has been.

 

Finally, we are joined by anti-imperialist journalist and transgender rights activist Morgan Artyukhina to discuss how the US government has been reacting to monkeypox as the country has recorded over 15,000 cases in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico. By looking at the history of the homophobic response to the AIDS epidemic, they give us an important perspective about misinformation and prejudices to look out for when we see media coverage and government information about the disease. Read Morgan's article on the subject at CovertActionMagazine.com: https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/08/14/showing-old-prejudices-u-s-government-falsely-associates-monkeypox-outbreak-with-gays-bisexuals-and-africans/

Everything you need to know about the Espionage Act & Trump - with John Kiriakou

This month is Black August. Begun in the 1970s, Black August is a month to commemorate political prisoners. For prisoners, it is a month of political education. It marks the anniversary of the killing of George Jackson and his brother Jonathan P. Jackson at San Quentin State Prison in 1971 and 1970, respectively.

 

We’re joined by Charisse Burden-Stelly, or Dr. CBS, to discuss the legacy, the lessons that liberation movements can learn today from Black August, the importance of the principles of "study, fast, train, fight" and uplifts the call to free them all - end the incarceration of and creation of new political prisoners today.

But first, after news broke of the investigation into Trump under the Espionage Act, we reached out to speak with Espionage Act expert, John Kiriakou to tell us what the act is about and who is really punished under it. John is a member of the Editorial Board of CovertAction Magazine and was himself charged and sent to prison under the Espionage Act for exposing the CIA’s torture program.

To register for the August 18 Black Agenda Report event, click here.

Don’t let FBI’s Trump raid fool you: they’re still enemies of the people

On Monday, the FBI raided Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago, Florida home, searching for documents that may have been classified and should not have left the White House. The right wing immediately jumped to condemning the raid, with far-right Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene posting “Defund the FBI,” while liberals hailed the bureau as defenders of democracy and justice. 

We discuss how the right is being disingenuous and the left ahistorical in their assessments of the Bureau, and what the raid means especially in the context of an expected 2024 run by Trump, and how the continuing January 6 hearings could be impacted by both the raid and Alex Jones’ lawyers sending his texts to the wrong person.

We also talk about CNN’s blatant and intentional misrepresentation of Roger Waters’ comments about the conflict in Ukraine. The activist and musician provided a nuanced historical answer to a question about the US role in the war, but the network edited it to make Waters appear as if he’s defending war crimes.

Finally, we speak with two library workers about attacks on libraries, including Jamestown MI voting to defund its library, and drag queen story hours being physically attacked across the country. It is far from the first time libraries have been at the center of conflicts around access to information.

 

Pelosi’s Visit to Taiwan Could Be the Start of World War III

On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan, marking a major escalation of U.S. aggression towards China. While this may not on it’s face seem alarming, the reality is that the U.S. is playing with fire. 1979 was the last time that a U.S. head of state or member of the ruling party visited Taiwan. Since the 70’s the official policy of the U.S. has been the One China policy, and this visit undermines this very policy. China’s statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, “These moves, like playing with fire, are extremely dangerous. Those who play with fire will perish by it.”

In order to understand the unfolding situation, we are joined by Ken Hammon, Professor of East-Asian and Global History at New Mexico State and activist with Pivot to Peace.

Surveillance Nation: From Amazon to the NSA

Amazon wants to be your retailer, educator, grocery store, security system, bank and now your healthcare provider: A few days ago, reports came out that the tech giant is looking to buy One Medical for $4 billion, its latest foray into the healthcare business. At the same time, Amazon provides law enforcement with easy access to massive amounts of data and the tools to parse it.

Of course it’s not just Amazon: Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and every big tech company obey the basic law of capitalism: grow or perish. They all rely on one shared resource: our data. And they all cozy up to the US government when it comes to information sharing.

Meanwhile, agencies like the CIA and NSA, plus lesser-known ones like the National Reconnaissance Office, regularly spy on people across the globe with flimsy legal pretext. In the digital age, what was once led by the government is more and more relying on partnerships with private big data companies.

We’re joined by Rosa Astra, a tech worker, militant journalist and organizer to discuss the breadth and depth of the surveillance state and how to organize under it.