Many in U.S. Army are secret members of Anonymous; more leaks are coming

[Cincinnatus]

The group-name “Anonymous” refers to a loosely associated, decentralized network of hacktivists – political activists who hack into secured websites, then leak the information free to the public.

The group originated in 2003 on the Internet forum 4chan, representing the concept of many online and offline community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic, digitized global brain. The group became known for a series of well-publicized hacks and denial-of-service attacks on government, religious, and corporate websites, including U.S. and Israeli government agencies, the Church of Scientology, child porn sites, PayPal, Mastercard, Visa, and military contractors.

Supporters have called the group “freedom fighters” and digital Robin Hoods, but critics have described them as “a cyber lynch-mob” or “cyber terrorists”. In 2012, Time magazine called Anonymous one of the “100 most influential people” in the world.

Anonymous members (known as “Anons”) can be distinguished in public by the wearing of stylised Guy Fawkes masks. Guy Fawkes is the best-known member of the Gunpowder Plot, an attempt to blow up the British House of Lords in London in 1605.

Now a member of Anonymous, who is an active-duty captain in the U.S. Army, has given an interview to BuzzFeed, anonymously of course. He claims that there are many Anons in the U.S. military, including middle- to high-ranking NCOs (non-commissioned officers), who are profoundly alienated from the military. He promises that more leaks are forthcoming.

Interview with purported Army captain follows at link.

http://dcclothesline.com/2013/08/15/many-in-u-s-army-are-secret-members-of-anonymous-more-leaks-are-coming/

[EC]

How many people know that Sean Smith was a moderator on the Something Awful forums?

[mountaineer]

How many people know that Sean Smith was a moderator on the Something Awful forums?

Please explain the significance of this.

[flowers]

Please explain the significance of this.

Yes please do.

[EC]

Please explain the significance of this.

He was a nice guy. Very fair and honest and - to be blunt - fun. For a million people he was not a symbol, or a disaster, or an unfortunate loss. He was a guy we dealt with daily who had a great sense of humor and a tolerance of idiots that should earn him sainthood at the very least.

There is a huge amount of crossover between the SA forums and 4chan, including Anonymous.

[mountaineer]

I guess we'll have to look it up. I have not heard of Sean Smith nor Something Awful.

[EC]

I guess we'll have to look it up. I have not heard of Sean Smith nor Something Awful.

Something Awful - fair enough. It's more comedy and sark than anything else.

Sean Smith though? One of the four who died in Bengahzi. You should recognize that name.

[mountaineer]

Oh please forgive me for not recognizing the name. It wasn't quite in context.

[EC]

It's cool. 

Tend to miss steps in posts - it is a bad habit. Brain gets too far ahead of fingers. Always, always call me on that!

But - you see why Anonymous, many of who knew Sean online or indeed in real life, are a little upset and PO'd about this?

[ABX]

He was a nice guy. Very fair and honest and - to be blunt - fun. For a million people he was not a symbol, or a disaster, or an unfortunate loss. He was a guy we dealt with daily who had a great sense of humor and a tolerance of idiots that should earn him sainthood at the very least.

There is a huge amount of crossover between the SA forums and 4chan, including Anonymous.

SA ended up being the conduit for many of Anonymous more humorous pranks as well as pranks on the right like some of the fake Obama Birth Certificates. They used that as launching point for many things as most of the public won't stomach weeding through 4Chan but they needed folks to 'stumble upon' things.

[ABX]

Back to the topic at hand, this is not good in the least. No matter what you think of the regime, we can't have chaos in the military with each person making an individual judgment as to what they think is fine to 'leak' and would actually be upholding their oath. There is a chain of process for reporting what they believe is illegalities, including, if one wants to go outside the military, through their local Congressman.

Any generic E designation may not have the full knowledge of what he thinks he knows to understand if something that he thinks is being done is a violation of the Constitution and his oath, or part of a bigger security picture that leaking will put his brothers in arms at risk.

I'm not crazy about how Snowden leaked his material, but at least it wasn't intelligence that put soldiers and operatives in harm's way, unlike Manning's leaks. Snowden also didn't take the same oath as Manning. I still think Manning should have been shot.

[EC]

I'm not crazy about how Snowden leaked his material, but at least it wasn't intelligence that put soldiers and operatives in harm's way, unlike Manning's leaks. Snowden also didn't take the same oath as Manning. I still think Manning should have been shot.

No going to disagree. Manning's leaks were a clear danger to active units. Snowdon's were less of a danger.

[alicewonders]

It's cool. 

Tend to miss steps in posts - it is a bad habit. Brain gets too far ahead of fingers. Always, always call me on that!

But - you see why Anonymous, many of who knew Sean online or indeed in real life, are a little upset and PO'd about this?

I seem to remember in early reports after Benghazi, that one of the men that was killed that night had earlier in the evening posted on the computer - on some game site or something like that - that they were in trouble, that he had fears that their lives were in danger.  Do you know if that was Sean Smith?

[EC]

I seem to remember in early reports after Benghazi, that one of the men that was killed that night had earlier in the evening posted on the computer - on some game site or something like that - that they were in trouble, that he had fears that their lives were in danger.  Do you know if that was Sean Smith?

That was Sean, if I recall correctly he posted "We're screwed. Hope we live,"

Something similar to that.

Don't forget. This guy wasn't a warrior. He was a computer geek.

[Cincinnatus]

No matter what you think of the regime, we can't have chaos in the military with each person making an individual judgment as to what they think is fine to 'leak' and would actually be upholding their oath.

You make a good point, AbaraXas, but at the same time their Commander in Chief, who also took an oath, is enforcing whatever laws he wishes, ignoring those of which he does not approve, and making up some according to his whim. If he can ignore his oath, why can't they?