Does that strike anyone else as slightly ludicrous? Creating A Space seems to me to just like dangling a nice, plump piece of meat over a pool of ravenous gators. Says Michael Wertheimer, assistant deputy director of national intelligence for analysis:

“It’s a place where not only spies can meet but share data they’ve never been able to share before,” Wertheimer said. “This is going to give them for the first time a chance to think out loud, think in public amongst their peers, under the protection of an A Space umbrella…One perfect example is if Osama bin Laden comes out with a new video. How is that video obtained? Where are the very sensitive secret sources we may have to put into a context that’s not apparent to the rest of the world?”

Ok. Its not that I wonder about the efficacy of such a system; I think it probably would solve much of the interdepartmental angst and hoarding that seems to characterize certain arms  of the intelligence sector.

Its that I wonder why they would ANNOUNCE it to the world if its going to contain highly-classified government secrets, even if they host it on some kind of internal network.

There could be other explanations as well.

It could be one huge, elaborate hoax. I’m not generally a conspiracy theorist myself, but this idea is so OBVIOUSLY whacked that I can’t help but wonder.

Or maybe its a honeypot, meant to lure unsuspecting individuals and catch them in the act of hacking it or otherwise trying to sabotage it.

I’m sure there are myriad other theories too, I’m just trying to think of something, anything, that makes logical sense to me in the wake of this announcement. Sure, its amusing, until you think about the possible ramifications. 

CNN’s situation room will be talking about it at 5PM PST here. If you’re interested.

What do you think about all this?

Comments