RIDDLE AS SPY-CATCHER QUITS

Drudge Report ^ | 7/5/03

[Brian Mosely]

America's top spy-catcher, Paul Redmond, has suddenly resigned in the middle of his secret investigation into how Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden allegedly obtained [Promis] US computer software... Developing...

[Brian Mosely]

Drudge links up to two different articles here. One is from the Washington Post, which states he quit and then follows with this:

The resignation came less than a month after assistant secretary Paul Redmond angered many House members at a hearing when he testified that his newly established office has not hired enough analysts or set up enough secure communications lines to receive classified FBI and CIA data for analysis purposes.

Then, we have this piece from Govexec.com which offers this:

Redmond's June 5 testimony—or lack of it—before a joint session of two of the House panel's subcommittees triggered bipartisan dismay. Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., in an interview, described his reaction as one of "shock, depression, outrage, embarrassment, and concern." He added, "They're basically acknowledging that they're useless."

Hmmmmm....

[John Beresford Tipton]

"how Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden allegedly obtained [Promis] US computer software"

Maybe they got it the old fashioned way,
by stealing it,
the same way the Government got it from the Hamiltons?

[lelio]

Ah the old Promis software story. Wish I still had my copy of The Octopus

[Cicero]

Well, we heard plenty about the Promis software scandal from various paranoid web sites during the 1990s. The problem is that, if it's true, it will never be confirmed.

It seems bizarre that American intelligence agencies would have stolen software from a private company that they could have bought for what amounted to pocket change with their multibillion-dollar budgets. Then again our intelligence agencies seem to be full of bizarre people, especially during the clinton years.

Orlin Grabbe used to have a bunch of stuff about this on his site, though it's been years since I've visited it. But here's a site that seems to have some stuff still posted. More can be found by doing a search for Promis or Inslaw:

http://www.webcom.com/~lpease/collections/conspiracies/inslaw.htm

[longtermmemmory]

who is this person and why should I care?

[nuconvert]

I think "health reasons" may be right on. No one goes to a hearing as ill prepared as he was. It sounds like he made a fool of himself. It's sad. At least the problem was caught now.

[HAL9000]

Most of these alleged "Promis" scandals are hoaxes.

[CurlyDave]

It seems bizarre that American intelligence agencies would have stolen software from a private company that they could have bought for what amounted to pocket change with their multibillion-dollar budgets.

This is not bizarre at all.

Having seen this up close & personal for quite a while, I can tell you that the government procurement system is set up to channel money to those companies that are already sucking at the government teat.

There is very little room at the tough for another one, especially if the government need arises after the budget cycle has just closed. And if the newby is a small company with something of great value to the government, it is almost a sure bet that there will be no money available.

As a practical matter, if you have something that the government wants it is far better to team up with a big defense contractor than to go it alone. Sure, they will take a piece of the action, but since the government already has numerous contracts with them, the gov't just modifies an existing contract.

Something alolng the lines of: "Say, you know that order we have for 100,000 toilet seats at $600 each, well we would like to change that to a few copies of this software program."

Happens all the time...

[Lancey Howard]

ping

[Lancey Howard]

Most of these alleged "Promis" scandals are hoaxes.

Yeah, the key word in your sentence is "most".
One thing is for sure - - following the money is the single most important "intelligence" there is. And Promis has been the subject of more disinformation and murkiness than any other covert operation I can think of. I have heard the Hamiltons interviewed several times (Irv Homer, WWDB Philadelphia) back in the '80s, but they and their lawsuits seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. My instincts tell me that the Hamiltons and their lawsuits are just another part of the disinformation campaign.

[ex-Texan]

I hesitate to post a direct link to Grabbe's site because he has a few semi-nude photos up. But this site has it as a featured news source so you can click and click . . . and yada yada. Don't want to offend any Freepers. Grabbe made headlines back in the Clinton days when he was rabble rousing about the Promis software. He was even interviewed by one of the blonde talking heads, Leslie Stahl was it? Oh, well . . .

[Cicero]

I ceased visiting Orville Grabbe when he started running more nude pics than intelligence stories. But he did run a lot of good stuff during the clinton years. Another good story concerned the clintonoid FBI smuggling in drugs over the Canadian border. But nowadays the only new stuff seems to be nudies--or at least that was the case when I left.

I guess Grabbe is one of the ultimate libertarians.