Secretive US Spy Office Caught Secretly Spying in US
Agency Insists Americans 'Spontaneously Confessed'
Most people have never heard of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), nor of its creepy slogan “Vigilance From Above.” That’s no accident: founded in 1960 to run spy satellites, the office mostly stays out of the public limelight, and its existence wasn’t even publicly acknowledged until 1973.
They are making headlines today, however, with the revelation from McClatchy newspapers that they have been illegally collecting large amounts of information about US citizens through unethical polygraph practices.
The agency runs polygraph sessions for people seeking security clearances, and documents the paper collected note that they were pressing people for information about unrelated personal issues, often carrying out multiple sessions asking personal questions. They reportedly offered rewards to polygraphers for extracting bizarre confessions about Americans’ personal sexual proclivities or thoughts on recreational drug use.
The NRO refused to comment directly on the allegations, saying only that they “legally collect information when people spontaneously confess” during a polygraph test.
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El Tonno
July 11th, 2012 at 12:47 am
"Vigilance from below", then?
curmudgeonvt
July 11th, 2012 at 3:41 am
Having gone thru a polygraph, for the purposes of gaining a position with the government, the predicament for the person being "examined" is that if you refuse to answer or question the relevancy of a question, the unstated (mostly – depends on examiner) threat is that a "failed" report would be forthcoming and with that, the job. I was not subjected to questions such as are being discussed here but there were "stories" amongst the agency employees of those types of questions being asked. Again, you sign away any right to question the questions beforehand and you never know who can trust when talking about stuff like this. Fear and retribution is ever present…never so glad as when I removed myself fro that environment.
Melancton Smith
July 11th, 2012 at 5:52 am
Make NRO obey the law! Stop illegal and invasive polygraph practices! Contact your political representatives today! Read more about NRO abuses
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/polygraph/
MoT
July 11th, 2012 at 6:06 am
That's why I avoid any "position" that says I may be subject to a polygraph. Screw that! The idea of being strapped to a machine to "test" my truthfulness is absurdly evil. Why not have all congress critters, staff and the prez himself be subject to one administered in full public view with questions the public demands answered and have them do so as a requirement for the job, eh? Which is more critical, the retiree walking a private security beat or some lunatic with his finger on the nuclear button?
Charles
July 11th, 2012 at 7:40 am
Melancton Smith, MY political rep? Name onel, please.
GStorm
July 11th, 2012 at 10:05 am
The sexual preoccupation is nothing new. The CIA regularly used hookers in the 60s and 70s to dose people with LSD and watch them have sex. http://www.sfweekly.com/2012-03-14/news/cia-lsd-w…
pendulum
July 11th, 2012 at 2:17 pm
the tapeworm strikes and retreats with goodies