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Ex-Pentagon general target of leak investigation, sources say
nbcnews.com ^ | June 27, 2013 | Michael Isikoff

Posted on 06/27/2013 4:09:49 PM PDT by John W

Legal sources tell NBC News that the former second-highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military is now the target of a Justice Department investigation into an alleged leak of classified information about a covert U.S. cyberattack on Iran’s nuclear program.

According to legal sources, retired Marine Gen. James “Hoss” Cartwright, the former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been notified that he’s under investigation for allegedly leaking information about a massive attack using a computer virus named Stuxnet on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Gen. Cartwright, 63, becomes the latest alleged leaker targeted by the Obama administration, which has already prosecuted or charged eight individuals under the Espionage Act.

(Excerpt) Read more at investigations.nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 201306; centrifuges; espionageact; globalzero; iran; iranianwmd; isikoff; itp; jamescartright; jamescartwright; leakers; leaks; nuclearproliferation; obamapurges; stuxnet
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To: John W
From the article

the NSA had developed the Stuxnet worm in tandem with the Israelis, and said thumb drives were first used to introduce the virus into the Natanz plant in 2008.

I been telling people this for a few years now that it was almost certainly thumb drives that got Stuxnet into the Iranian sites....idle geeks hands and thumb drives are the devil's playthings :-)

I'd love to get a look at the thumbs they used to distribute Stuxnet.

From an earlier post I made a while back.

-------------------------------------------
any good geek could make a crude version of this at home.

You would need.
-A small custom board... less than a buck at itead studios.
-A micro-controller that can handle USB and read/write a micro SD card.
-A small xtal oscillator part to send out the data bursts..use a board trace as antenna.
-Custom programming to handle the hidden section of the SD card and discern what data to store there (pdf’s jpg. etc)
-Stuff your populated board into a plastic shell from a popular thumb drive.
-Print up an envelope that looks like something sent from a commercial computer parts supplier or whatever and stick the custom thumb drive in as a promotional gift and mail to the target.
-— And you are now an amateur gov snoop. This is similar to how the Stuxnet virus was introduced to Iranian nuclear sites.

I built a custom thumb drive exactly as described above...it cost less than 20 dollars to construct. You can update the firmware in the Atmega32 processor by simply putting a .dat file on the visible 8gb and plugging into a USB port...the .dat file is erased after the update.

The same method is used to dump the contents of the hidden 8gb. The Atmega32 encrypts the data sent to the hidden section with a fast stream algorithm. The key is generated by a diode noise source. You have to brute-force decrypt the data... thus you have left no key in the firmware of the Atmega32.

I used a sm oscillator scrounged from an old motherboard as the rf oscillator to transmit data from the hidden SD card section... It worked well at about 1/4 mile between a friend’s house and my roof mounted broadband yagi.

I’m designing a custom thumb now that will allow me to place files on to the thumb remotely and not simply gather data using the oscillator on the thumb drive... 2way data.... easily done you see... it’s the same ability a cheap USB WiFi or bluetooth adapter has.
------------------

Using a drive like the one I built would enable you to place the virus/worm on the hidden 8gb flash section and then load it onto the visible section at any time...suddenly a perfectly safe thumb drive is no longer safe... once the deed is done then erase your tracks by deleting the files from the visible flash section.

21 posted on 06/27/2013 4:41:30 PM PDT by Bobalu (It is not obama we are fighting, it is the media.)
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To: Gene Eric
Obama and his cronies are the biggest leakers.

Seal team 6 lost their lives thanks to Obama spiking the ball and exposing them and their families to danger on top of the normal danger of sticking their necks out for fat and lazy back in this country.

Personally I am questioning weather I should call it a military career. I no longer feel like defending all the leaches on the land I love and especially this Congress and President.

22 posted on 06/27/2013 4:50:14 PM PDT by Newbomb Turk ("All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.")
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To: A.A. Cunningham

OK now it’s really weird. This guy was O’s FAVORITE general.

WTH! ?


23 posted on 06/27/2013 4:51:32 PM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: Bobalu

The NSA will be watching you very closely now.


24 posted on 06/27/2013 4:51:38 PM PDT by BipolarBob
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To: John W
Obama has this thing about (Generals and Admirals)......
25 posted on 06/27/2013 4:58:32 PM PDT by yoe
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To: John W

Cartwright was also the subject of a classified Inspector General’s report that looked into anonymous allegations that he acted inappropriately with a young, female aide on an overseas trip in 2009. Cartwright was cleared of those charges, but Pentagon sources also report that Cartwright’s treatment of his wife, including that he asked her to leave his house, has irked other senior officers’ wives, including Mullen’s wife.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/19/gen_cartwright_has_bipartisan_senate_support_despite_whisper_campaign

The break between Cartwright and his two bosses, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen, came after the contentious debate in late 2009 over the surge of troops in Afghanistan. Cartwright worked with Vice President Joseph Biden on a plan that placed a greater emphasis on counterterrorism than counterinsurgency, and included a smaller footprint with fewer additional troops. They presented that plan to Obama without the prior approval of Gates and Mullen.
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/09/02/gen_james_hoss_cartwright_i_have_no_regrets

Storms seem to just whirl around him...


26 posted on 06/27/2013 4:59:10 PM PDT by Irenic (The pencil sharpener and Elmer's glue is put away-- we've lost the red wheel barrow)
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To: TexasTransplant

Most people refer to the NSA at Ft. Meade, MD as the Puzzle Palace.

The Puzzle Palace: Inside the National Security Agency, America’s Most Secret Intelligence Organization
by James Bamford (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Puzzle-Palace-Intelligence-Organization/dp/0140067485/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372377641&sr=8-1&keywords=puzzle+palace


27 posted on 06/27/2013 5:01:54 PM PDT by Andy from Chapel Hill
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To: SE Mom
OK now it’s really weird. This guy was O’s FAVORITE general.

Cartwright is the key name behind the "Global Zero" anti-nuclear movement.

28 posted on 06/27/2013 5:41:38 PM PDT by Strategerist
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To: John W

The Obama regime has more leaks than a DEPENDS hit by buckshot.

Guess the comrades didn’t know that “leaks” are a two-way street. They flow both ways.

Just can’t wait until more insiders decide to come out of the proverbial “up Obie’s ass closet” and start revealing the truth about his regime and its illegalities.

Oh boy, this is gonna be fun!


29 posted on 06/27/2013 5:48:57 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Strategerist

Now that’s interesting. This guy was in the higher echelon of the power structure and yet he leaked (if we’re to believe the piece) sensitive and highly classified information to the NYT.


30 posted on 06/27/2013 5:50:53 PM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: John W

NBC reports or made up Government crap news?


31 posted on 06/27/2013 5:59:50 PM PDT by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: TWhiteBear

You mean that the Snowden thing is just a scheme to hoodwink the Ruskies with a lot of bogus info to throw them off on what our real NSA objectives are? Clever.


32 posted on 06/27/2013 6:14:10 PM PDT by batterycommander (a little more rubble, a lot less trouble)
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To: LucyT

ping


33 posted on 06/27/2013 6:15:05 PM PDT by Velveeta
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To: no-to-illegals

Gen “C” was a comanding officer of the FA-18 squadron I was in some years ago. He was/hopefully is still a straight shooter. I don’t believe the crap he’s been strung through. Unless someone has undeniable proof.


34 posted on 06/27/2013 6:28:22 PM PDT by BigpapaBo (If it don't kill you it'll make you _________!)
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To: BigpapaBo

Never met General “Hoss” Cartwright. Am not totally familiar with the General but from the reading have done ... our senior Generals, on the front lines, have been receiving a rough ride thanks to the obama crowd. It makes me think there is a purge underway of the highest order coming straight from the hillary camp running the show behind the scenes. hillary still wants the job after obama and obama looks to be laying the ground work, by his actions, to purge America’s Military in order that hillary too may do great damage to our nation. (imho). If there is a plan underway to stop the insanity ... May the plan work.


35 posted on 06/27/2013 6:37:39 PM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: John W

More of an observation about the writing, than about content: When did Generals ever become “EX” Generals. I learned that once they became Generals, it was a title you had better not forget when addressing them. Kind of like calling someone a former Marine.

Just sayin’


36 posted on 06/27/2013 7:00:07 PM PDT by Vermont Lt (Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?)
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To: John W

Obama getting rid of another old-school general, to be replaced by a Gen loyal to Dear Leader


37 posted on 06/27/2013 7:23:34 PM PDT by austinaero
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To: austinaero

Cartwright, aka Obama’s favorite general, retired in August of 2011.


38 posted on 06/27/2013 8:11:23 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham (Electorate data confirms Resolute Conservative voted for Soetoro)
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To: Velveeta; MestaMachine; Rushmore Rocks; Oorang; sweetiepiezer; txnuke; aragorn; La Lydia; ...
”Image

Ex-Pentagon General target of leak investigation, sources say

Thanks, Vel.

39 posted on 06/28/2013 3:59:52 AM PDT by LucyT
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To: LucyT

Another day, another General destroyed. Eh.


40 posted on 06/28/2013 9:33:09 AM PDT by Nachum (The Obama "List" at www.nachumlist.com)
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