CNN finds DHS AAR on commercial airliner
According to CNN, one of their employees found classified documents of a critique of a simulated biological attack on the Super Bowl that had been left unattended in the seat-back pocket of a commercial plane.
CNN was unable to verify who left the documents on the plane. The travel itinerary and boarding pass accompanying the documents was in the name of Michael V. Walter.
Walter, a microbiologist, has been the program manager of BioWatch since 2009, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“I am responsible for developing and operating a budget that has ranged up to 90 million dollars and directed a staff or more than 50 members,” his profile says.
He held previous posts with the Central Intelligence Agency and Naval Surface Warfare Center and has 20 years of experience with biological warfare research.
Walter, 59, did not respond to requests for comment for this article.A DHS official said the missing documents were the subject of an “operational review” and that “DHS does not comment on personnel matters or potential pending personnel action.”
I guess we’re lucky that the documents were discovered by CNN instead of another terrorist group;
CNN decided to withhold publication of this article until after the Super Bowl after government officials voiced concerns that publishing it prior to the game could jeopardize security for the event. A DHS official told CNN that areas for improvement identified in the draft reports had been addressed prior to Sunday’s game and that the agency had “great confidence” in its preparedness.
I guess CNN cares more about our national security than at least one of our government microbiologists.
Category: Government Incompetence
It appears nobody handcuffs the locked briefcase to themselves anymore.
Cracks me up….as OOD I had to do that routinely with classed material. WTF is wrong with people these days?
I was a postal monkey from my battalion in the rear to the deployed battalion in the Sandbox. I only had the bag handcuffed to my wrist once. I don’t know why, but it was the only time in the 12 trips I took to Iraq that it happened.
Johnny Walker blue label for the brass?
No. If that were the case, then the Infantrymen on the flights would be able to smell it and gnaw through the tear-proof bag.
Before or after we impregnate the dumbest lady on the flight?
My first thought as well. Far too many cavalier attitudes towards national security these days.
When I commented on Twitter regarding Hillary’s violation of protocol regarding the handling of classified, some knotheads questioned my comment e.g. ‘So what if she had an unprotected server?’ and other statements reflecting someone who had no recognition of what it means to
handle classified.
I also stated that while Comey let her skate many were serving in Leavenworth for far less violation
“…instead of another terrorist group.”
I see what you did there. Nice.
CNN, another Terrorist group. Caught that right away. BZ.
I am leaning to this being a non-event. You can already find our TM’s, FM’s, SOP’s, TTP’s, and many other exercise wrap ups such as Cyber Guard (cyber attacks against critical infrastructure and institutions), Jade Helm (yes, that Jade Helm), and Foal Eagle (joint training with Korea and Japan), are just a google search away.
Opsec just isn’t what it used to be.
Unless it’s the formula for Coca Cola or KFC…
True. Leak that shit and you’re waking up to your loved ones heads in bed with you. And in the case of KFC, deep fried, heads even.
Quick! Get Mulder and Scully on this! Obviously, it was a plant by way of a time-dimensional transmission while the plane was in flight.
Is this idiot going to be fired? Or will he even get his knuckles smacked by Sister Mary of the Oaken Ruler?
That would be “The Penguin” from the best Rhythm & Blues movie in history !!!
Now I’m turned on at work.
Hey! That was a good movie, if I could just remember it.
Oh, “Millenium”
I find it an incredibly unlikely coincidence that the next person to occupy this seat just happened to be someone from CNN. This reeks of a setup to transfer the information to CNN without giving the appearance that CNN was in on it the entire time.
Yeah, I’m with you on that. It stinks to high heaven. What’s more, a decent American would have turned the stuff over to appropriate authority immediately.But, as Mason points out below, reporters think they are above the law and enjoy special privileges denied to the rest of us.
I’m undecided. CNN would not have outed the individual if they were using him as a mole. But as a patsy to make the administration look bad, yes.
I guess it would come down tot he tenor of the article, which I’m not going to read because I refuse to give CNN any internet traffic.
On the other hand, it would have been smart to ID the guy who ‘inadvertently’ left the stuff on the plane b/c if it wasn’t crystal clear who did it, the order would have gone out the next day to “report to X office with [certain specified documents.” Someone would not have been able to do that.
Not as high as you might think.
Assuming the CNN reporter wasn’t one of their prima donna talking heads, they’d be flying coach. So would the guy from DHS. So the odds of the CNN reporter getting a seat on the same row and side would be either 2 or 3 to (however many coach seats the aircraft had).
The reporter wouldn’t necessarily have to have had the same seat. If the reporter were on the same row and side, it’s quite likely he’d notice the material left behind even if it wasn’t in front of his seat.
Most flights have somewhere between 50 and 180 or so coach seats. So the odds would be no worse than about 60-1, and might be as low as 30-1.
Bottom line: longshot, yes – but not ridiculously so.
It’s also possible that the reporter noticed the material while getting on/off the plane and stopped to retrieve it then. That does mean the reporter would have to have been pretty sharp to notice it – but on occasion, they are.
That someone would leave materials like that behind is eminently believable. I’ve seen folks reading stuff in public locations that decidedly should not have been read there. Leaving something of that sort behind if the individual is inattentive as well is plausible.
Not uncommon. With “his” 90 million $ a year budget, I’m sure he wasn’t riding in the back of the plane on HIS dime. CNN puts their folks upfront and writes it off as a business expense.
Actually, there’s a good chance he was. From what I can gather, most if not all Federal agencies make it VERY difficult for employees to fly first or business class. Bad perception and all that.Please disregard – originally misread your comment, Berliner.If Walter wasn’t on the plane – or was on the plane, but could not have been the source of those documents – that should have been easy to refute. The fact that both Walter and DHS are being tight-lipped about it suggests that the reporting is legit.
In the words of CNN’s own Chris Cuomo, “remember, it’s illegal to possess these stolen documents. It’s different for the media. So everything you learn about this, you’re learning from us.”
The guy will get a slap on the wrist pre FISA/Trump thing. He may now get his balls nailed to the wall and left there to hang post FISA/Trump thing. More reasonable it’s forgotten about and a slap on the wrist.
Meh. There were all sorts of “what if” exercises going on around the Super Bowl. It was a major gathereing and a big fat target.
Every local emergency response plan as well as the major players gets exercised and AAR’s are a common part of it.
“classified” as FOUO, most likely.
Probably. Still likely a resume generating event, though…
Wasn’t me!
The lady doth protest too much, methinks. 😛
Did you see the pictures (posted BEFORE the Super Bowl) of the sniper nests in the stadium superstructure? Since the playing field was visible in the photos, it would be child’s play to locate them with that information. Stupid.
Wondering what the classification was, probably Confidential. I recall special handling procedures for TS and Secret which, back in the day, would have precluded their being read on a civilian airliner. I was a courier for Secret documents from Clark to Honolulu on a contract carrier and watched them load my bag last in the hold then was on the ground when they opened the hold. It was also a good place to have all of the jewelry purchased from Johnny’s Gems which Customs did not get to see.
It was FOUO, I watched the CNN video 🙂
I find all this talk of terrorism at the Super Bowl incredibly ironic. No one ever mentions that it’s the single largest venue for sex-trafficking in the world. Oh, kidnapping people and keeping them as slaves isn’t important.
Hey, I came here on my own to make some good money!
Dahell.
“Extremely careless” but not “grossly negligent”…no problem here
Should read, “According to CNN, one of their employees found classified documents of a critique of a simulated biological attack on the Super Bowl that had been left by the same CNN employee who put it in the seat-back pocket of a commercial plane”.
Something along those lines.
“I guess we’re lucky that the documents were discovered by CNN instead of another terrorist group…”
Assumes facts not in evidence. Not so sure about CNN…
CNN-least honest name in news
CNN-communist news network
CNN-cuomo’s nauseating news
CNN-clinton’s news network
The vast majority of CNN Personnel do not know me.
I have to be subjected to CNN at work non stop, if I can find a way to put the parental controls on and block it I will, but I digress they had this on and showed parts of it. It was listed as FOUO and draft was on it. So not classified, of course they could have done the right thing and turned it in but hey why do the right thing. On a high note this and the DOW gave CNN something to break up the 24/7 non stop anti Trump propaganda of course they did devote part of the time to show that Trump in 2013 said to never bet against Kraft and the Patriots, oh the horror…..