Latest from S. Clemons on FB + Twitter, 8 minutes ago:

[elleng]

'On #NSA post earlier, working to ID folks I heard. They attended Intelligence & National Security Alliance Dinner chaired by Negroponte.'

'#NSA commenters overheard on @ggreenwald attended INSA 2013 Wm Oliver Baker Award dinner NSA Dir Michael Hayden '

edit:

'About Intelligence & National Security Alliance, read Eli Lake story from last yr on INSA site being hacked http://t.co/MlR7O0iuhF'

Top Spy Website Hacked
Sep 16, 2011 8:19 PM EDT INSA, the leading trade association for intelligence contractors, just had its website hacked. What’s worse, such cyberpiracy is not that uncommon, Eli Lake explains.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/16/insa-an-intelligence-trade-association-gets-hacked.html

[longship]

1. I want to see this vetted by his editors.

If it stands up, he should go with it. I have no opinion on whether I want this to be validated or not. It certainly could be dynamite.

But also, people say stupid things at unguarded moments. Nobody expects a journalist to be within earshot. So there's that side to the story.

[elleng]

2. I suspect that his editors are vetting this continually.

As he learned that 'these people' attended the dinner earlier, sounds like they should have known better than to have said what they did. Not used to the potency of alcohol in DC???

[JimDandy]

3. No, you DO expect to be overheard in a public space

by anyone, including a journalist or an NSA agent. You DON'T expect to be spied on by our government in the privacy of your home or on the phone. The irony of it all.

[longship]

4. Well, maybe you didn't read Clemons' reports.

The conversation was sota voce. He apparently only caught it because he was nearby.

Also, it might be nothing. A couple dudes just making speculative conversation about the leak. In other words, people being people, and people in the intelligence community being people in the intelligence community. James Bond is iconic. One makes a joke.

It's one thing to overhear such things. It's a whole another thing to intuit intent from what one has heard. That's why the identity of these guys is important to Mr. Clemons.

One does not want to jump to confusions below ones by-line. Like the WaPo retraction today.

[JimDandy]

6. Been watching Clemons'

droppings all day--no 'report' per se, from him yet. I was only speaking to your comment on being overheard--Public is public, especially at an airport. I agree, though, deriving intent from the content of what the intelligence agents said will need to be Clemons' focus.

[longship]

8. Indeed, that seems to be his focus.

He wants to ID these guys. For an interview? Who knows?

But he put out a couple pleas on his twitter for assistance. Don't know what good that would do. But any good journalist has more than Twitter.

I want to see where this goes. But I suspect it's nothing but a couple of dudes making a joke. "Those guys are toast" kind of thing. The men in black will do the flashy thingy on them, or just wipe them out.

I'd go with the flashy thingy, myself.

[JimDandy]

9. Joke or not, it was very stupid of them

to make off-the-cuff comments, in any case. No matter their intent, those agents are not long for their jobs. No company is going to want to keep security people who run off at the mouth in public like that (and possibly under the influence of alcohol?). Intelligence agents can get sacked simply for talking in their sleep.

[longship]

10. As a former DOD Secret clearance, I know.

But if they were joking, that might be a different story.

However, the enforcers -- in my case DOD -- are notoriously without a sense of humor. And sadly, without a sense of perspective. Everything is monochrome to them, either black or white. And they see black... well... fucking everywhere. Even where the sun shines brightly.

[JimDandy]

11. So true about seeing black everywhere.

Turning in for the night.

[longship]

12. Sleep well my friend.

Gonna wrap up soon, myself.

[octoberlib]

5. Here's the list of attendees

http://www.insaonline.org/i/e/ba/2013/index.aspx?Event_Tabs=5

The following organizations will be represented:

Accenture
L-3
AdvanTech Library of Congress
BAE Systems
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Ball Aerospace
MacAulay-Brown, Inc.
Battelle
ManTech International
The Boeing Company
MITRE Corporation
Booz Allen Hamilton
National Archives and Records Administration
CACI National Intelligence Council
Catapult Consultants
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
National Reconnaissance Office
CGI Federal
National Security Agency
The Chertoff Group
National Security Staff
Computer Sciences Corporation NJVC, LLC
Defense Intelligence Agency Northrop Grumman Corporation
Deloitte Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Department of Commerce Office of the Secretary of Defence
Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
Department of Energy Oracle
Department of Homeland Security PwC
Department of Justice
QinetiQ - North America
Department of State Raytheon Company
Department of Treasury
SAIC
Draper Lab SAP NS2
Drug Enforcement Administration Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Eagle Ray, Inc. The SI Organization
Executive Office of the President Spadaro & Associates
Federal Aviation Administration
TASC
Federal Bureau of Investigation Tenax Group
Fluor
Transportation Security Administration
General Dynamics - Advanced Information Systems
United States Air Force
General Dynamics - Information Technology United States Army
Hewlett Packard
United States Coast Gaurd
House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence United States Cyber Command
IBM
United States Department of Agriculture
Immigration and Customs Enforcement United States Marine Corps
The Intelligence & Security Academy United States Navy
Invertix USIS
ITT Exelis
Verizon
Key W Corporation

[longship]

7. That's a long list. This wasn't a small conference.

Lots of big hitters there. Both from government and MIC.

I used to work for Boeing Military Airplane Company where one had to have a DOD secret clearance to be employed. That company is no longer in existence due to corporate restructure, but Boeing undoubtedly has projects that have the same requirement. I will tell you that the DOD secret is no small clearance. The DOD guys in the plant were something else. I have some amusing stories about that.