flying cuttlefish picayune

New docs show how Reagan-era executive order unbounded NSA
Newly declassified info sheds light on EO 12333 and the feds’ obscuring tactics.

By Cyrus Farivar

A set of newly declassified documents shows definitively and explicitly that the United States intelligence community relies heavily on what is effectively unchecked presidential authority to conduct surveillance operations, as manifested through the Reagan-era Executive Order (EO) 12333.

And at a more basic level, the new documents illustrate that the government is adept at creating obscure legalistic definitions of plain language words, like “collection of information,” which help obfuscate the public’s understanding of the scope and scale of such a dragnet. . . .

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/09/new-docs-show-how-reagan-era-executive-order-unbounded-nsa/

Executive Order 12333–United States intelligence activities

Some nuggets:

The spies get to police themselves –

1.2 The National Security Council. (a) Purpose. The National Security Council (NSC) was established by the National Security Act of 1947 to advise the President with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign and military policies relating to the national security. The NSC shall act as the highest Executive Branch entity that provides review of, guidance for and direction to the conduct of all national foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, and special activities, and attendant policies and programs.
(b) Committees. The NSC shall establish such committees as may be necessary to carry out its functions and responsibilities under this Order. The NSC, or a committee established by it, shall consider and submit to the President a policy recommendation, including all dissents, on each special activity and shall review proposals for other sensitive intelligence operations.

CIA embedded in your police dept. –

2.6 Assistance to Law Enforcement Authorities. Agencies within the Intelligence Community are authorized to:
(a) Cooperate with appropriate law enforcement agencies for the purpose of protecting the employees, information, property and facilities of any agency within the Intelligence Community….

Josef Mengele –

2.10 Human Experimentation. No agency within the Intelligence Community shall sponsor, contract for or conduct research on human subjects except in accordance with guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services. The subject’s informed consent shall be documented as required by those guidelines.