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George Smith

George Smith, Ph.D., has written on biological and chemical weapons for a variety of publications. From examination of captured documents after 9/11, he was one of the first to publicly determine al Qaeda had no capability in this area. Smith has consulted to terrorism trials as an expert on the analysis of seized electronic Internet-distributed texts on improvised weapons. He is currently writing a book on his experience.

Yellow Fever

This week's news cycle has been especially full of natsec experts and government men speaking of the threat of Chinese attacks in cyberspace. Such intelligence wars are unsurprising. It is equally unsurprising that foreign powers have always engaged in extensive operations to obtain military and...

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The Bogometer is blinking red

History means a lot on the cybersecurity/cyberwar beat. Particularly not knowing it. If you're reporter on the cyber-disaster line you probably don't remember what went on five years ago. And, under no circumstances, do you recall or even care what transpired before that. Short attention/retention...

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How not to be 'sick'

If you read or sound like an old duffer or military stodge, your message may not convey quite what one thinks to a younger generation in a different country. This is one of the unintentionally humorous lessons furnished in the latest issue of the Army's...

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Atom drone ideas ruefully canceled

Sometimes the boffins of bad ideas at our weapons labs are occasionally compelled to admit the atrocious quality of the things they come up with preclude them ever being implemented. And news of this was brought to us this week courtesy of Steve Aftergood at...

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An old cyberwar April Fool's joke proves durable, finds new rubes

In the mainstream public discussion about cyberwar, bull---- walks, particularly here. And so it is not greatly surprising when an infamous old April Fool's joke about a computer virus alleged to have been used in Desert Storm shows up almost right on time for the...

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Still flogging the pain ray

Over the last decade, the US military's pain ray -- a clumsy weapon called the Active Denial System that uses millimeter waves to burn the outer skin layer of targets by making the water molecules twitch -- has been a public relations disaster. No one...

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Bombing Paupers: The strategy of the Forever War explained

At Secrecy blog Steve Aftergood has posted the testimony of William McRaven, overall commander of global US Special Operations. Appearing before the Senate Armed Services committee recently, McRaven emitted statements that, with only a little translation, frankly and perfectly encapsulate the American strategy to globally...

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The 'lights out' meme and the joy of believing rubbish

The idea that hackers -- now to mean Anonymous, the Chinese, or any other alleged enemy of the US anywhere, can turn out the lights from the Internet is pervasive. There isn't a week that passes without some media outlet publishing a story or running...

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Oil company funny bizness 'splained

A new report from the Congressional Research Service does not furnish material useful in blaming the president for precipitously rising prices at the pump. It gives no obvious opening to those who might think of appealing to oil companies for help in the matter, either,...

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