Richard Clarke: Hastings accident “consistent with a car cyber

Hang the Bankers ^ | 6/25/2013 | Clark Kent

[KosmicKitty]

Former U.S. National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism Richard Clarke told The Huffington Post on Monday that the fatal crash of journalist Michael Hastings’ Mercedes C250 coupe last week is “consistent with a car cyber attack.”

“There is reason to believe that intelligence agencies for major powers” — including the United States — know how to remotely seize control of a car,” Clarke said.

On Saturday, Infowars.com posted a video of a talk presented by Dr. KathleenFisher, a program manager for DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technologies. Fisher admitted that the Pentagon has researched remotely controlling cars through hacking on board computers.

In 2011, Car and Driver magazine published an article substantiating the Pentagon research. “Currently, there’s nothing to stop anyone with malicious intent and some ­computer-programming skills from taking command of your vehicle. After gaining access, a hacker could control everything from which song plays on the radio to whether the brakes work,” writes Keith Barry, citing research conducted by the Center for Automotive Embedded Systems Security, a partnership between the University of California San Diego and the University of Washington.

“What has been revealed as a result of some research at universities is that it’s relatively easy to hack your way into the control system of a car, and to do such things as cause acceleration when the driver doesn’t want acceleration, to throw on the brakes when the driver doesn’t want the brakes on, to launch an air bag,” Clarke told The Huffington Post. “You can do some really highly destructive things now, through hacking a car, and it’s not that hard.”

Clarke was careful not to directly implicate the government in hacking Hastings’ car. “So if there were a cyber attack on the car — and I’m not saying there was,” he said, “I think whoever did it would probably get away with it.”

He also put credence in the FBI’s claim – despite claims to the contrary by associates of the writer – that the agency was not investigating him. “I believe the FBI when they say they weren’t investigating him,” said Clarke. “That was very unusual, and I’m sure they checked very carefully before they said that.”

“I’m not a conspiracy guy. In fact, I’ve spent most of my life knocking down conspiracy theories,” said Clarke. “But my rule has always been you don’t knock down a conspiracy theory until you can prove it [wrong]. And in the case of Michael Hastings, what evidence is available publicly is consistent with a car cyber attack. And the problem with that is you can’t prove it.”

Despite the overwhelming evidence that Michael Hastings was targeted and assassinated for his journalism – most notably his story resulting in the fall of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and remarks on NSA surveillance – the establishment media continues to portray the attack on Hastings as the delusional meanderings of conspiracy theorists. Clarke’s comments serve as the latest pièce de résistance in an unfolding drama revealing just how far the government will go to silence critics and truth tellers.

Prior to his murder, Hastings said the Obama administration had declared war on the press. His desire to go into hiding – expressed in an email mere hours before his assassination – demonstrates the ability of the government to monitor opponents by using a well-developed NSA surveillance grid and take executive action against investigative journalists and others who dare to stand up to the national security state.

[LyinLibs]

“They” shot JFK in broad daylight during a motorcade in front of a hundred people.

I doubt they hesitate when killing journalists or anybody else.

[LyinLibs]

“Btw, the body has been identified. According to the cornoner - by fingerprints.”

I hope that Coroner has arsenic-poisoning insurance.

[LyinLibs]

“I remember being told by someone whose parents survived tyranny that one of the hallmarks of a tyrannical state is when journalists become targets of the state, then start vanishing.”

I think USA journalists are waking up to “Utopia” and soiling themselves.

[Secret Agent Man]

university folks have shown how to hack into a car via wifi devices and control the ca.

[gathersnomoss]

Cash4Clunkers fixed that.

[zeugma]

But if it's possible, why wouldn't it be done in a way that would evoke less suspicion?

Because they wanted a message to be sent, and believe me, that message was heard loud and clear.

I don't know what country I live in anymore. It sure as hell isn't America.

[EVO X]

Thanks EVO X. That was dramatic video. My wife reported the orthodox Jew spraying the car with a hose before fire trucks arrived

It is amazing how quick he was out there spraying water on the fire.

[Hot Tabasco]

There is reason to believe .....that UFO's have landed and their shape shifting occupants are now walking amongst us........

[Cicero]

Thanks for the video. I’ll take their word for it that it was his car that ran the red light “seconds before the crash.”

I don’t think that proves anything in itself. If the car was sabotaged so he couldn’t control it, that could explain running the light as well as the crash.

I’m not saying that’s what happened. But the video really doesn’t do anything to negate it.

[A.A. Cunningham]

hastings

[nascarnation]

With all the safety features in today's modern car, this inferno seems unlikely.

As far as I know, there are no production cars with onboard extinguishing systems like the race cars use. This was a high speed wreck with tremendous kinetic energy. Once you compromise the fuel tank via structural collapse of the chassis, all bets are off.

[smoothsailing]

fingerprints from the FBI? matched to a burned to a crisp corpse? Weird.

Thanks, A.A.C. :)

[Ramius]

Richard Clarke is a tool of our enemies. Anything he has to say should be ignored. He is no friend of the United States.

[Political Junkie Too]

Lesson Learned: Get yourself an old-school model from the 60’s or 70’s that has minimal electronics.

That was also the plotline from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica on Showtime.

The Galactica was not retrofitted with any of the modern networked computers, because the Cylons learned how to hack into the battlestars and shut them down.

-PJ

[Political Junkie Too]

My question is why was he out at 4:30 a.m. when most people are in bed or only out for compelling reasons like catching a plane or getting to an early job.

Maybe because Rolling Stone is headquartered in New York City, and he was heading into the LA office for an 8:00AM EDT / 5:00AM PDT staff meeting?

-PJ

[TChad]

...the simplest answer does seem to be that someone wanted Hastings gone, permanently.

I agree.

As for Richard Clarke, despite his political partisanship he is not an idiot and he is well informed. If he says this execution method is possible, I believe it.

[LyinLibs]

I just looked at a map of LA and checked the direction Hastings was traveling.

Hastings was headed SOUTH along Highland in a hurry at 4:30AM?

I think he was headed to LAX to catch an early flight out of town. Look at a map — if you’re in a hurry toward LAX you’d hustle South along Highland.

I lived in LA. Even the bars close at 2AM sharp. Nothing happens at 4:30AM. The town is completely DEAD at 4:30AM.

I assume there were outbound LAX flights departing 6AM, 7AM and so forth?

Hastings spoke to Wikileaks earlier and told friends he was “GOING OFF THE RADAR” for awhile.

As the gov’t knows, it’s tough to chase somebody around Europe/Asia after they flee — just ask Snowden.

It’s easier to kill somebody while he’s still local. Especially since the LA Coroner’s office is “in on the game” after LA Coroner technician Michael Cormier dropped dead of arsenic poisoning the day his office released the Breitbart autopsy report.

My bet is “explosive charge placed inside the vehicle, then remotely detonated.”

That would explain why the Mercedes engine sailed up the road like it was hit by Babe Ruth.

[LyinLibs]

Hacking a car (Q&A)

A group of researchers discover that, just like PCs, cars can be hacked. However, they say the risk is fairly low—for now.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20005047-245.html