WaPo: A hidden world, growing beyond control

[unhappycamper]

A hidden world, growing beyond control
By Dana Priest and William M. Arkin

The top-secret world the government created in response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has become so large, so unwieldy and so secretive that no one knows how much money it costs, how many people it employs, how many programs exist within it or exactly how many agencies do the same work.

These are some of the findings of a two-year investigation by The Washington Post that discovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight. After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine.

The investigation's other findings include:

* Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism, homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States.

* An estimated 854,000 people, nearly 1.5 times as many people as live in Washington, D.C., hold top-secret security clearances.

[glowing]

1. This shit is out of control.. and freaky too.

[unhappycamper]

2. Thanks for the unrec!

:hi:

[Name removed]

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[OneGrassRoot]

7. K&R :)

Thanks for this. :hi:

[Name removed]

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[WinkyDink]

10. No. It is a Rube Goldberg Hide the Graft and Other Crimes "system". FOLLOW THE MONEY.

[Junkdrawer]

5. How much of that world is dedicated to convincing people....

that the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan (and Iran or Kuwait???) are necessary and just?

[NightWatcher]

6. Happy Sunshine Day: Once again I can say I was right

and I've been so for more than nine years on this alone.

I used to work for one of the larger intel companies mentioned in the Post's project and I've already found three cover companies exposed. The Post put most of this together from open source pieces, meaning a smart person could have put this together without breaching classified info.

Check out this project
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/

[OneGrassRoot]

8. They're covering it as a top story on GMA...

William Arkin of The Washington Post is on now.

(I keep the TV on, muted, in the background while I work...I looked over to see "Top Secret" being discussed; I don't know what he said though...lol)

Edit to clarify: GMA is "Good Morning America" on ABC :)

[WinkyDink]

9. But...but...Bush and Cheney were for SMALLER govt! Ask a Teabagger!

[adamuu]

11. And they complain about what we spend on welfare to the poor.... n/t