Why don’t more
“whistle blowers” come out to expose illegal or
unconstitutional secret government operations? If these
activities are so illegal, why are people not coming
forward to report them?
Over the last
fifty years US government intelligence agencies have
perfected a complex, sequential system to systematically
silence or destroy any employee, including his or her
family, who attempts to reveal illegal or
unconstitutional activities conducted as part of secret
government operations.
As a condition
of employment, military and intelligence employees
recruited for secret operations are required to sign a
“secrecy agreement,” or “nondisclosure agreement,”
before being given access to the position, which offers
high pay and status in the organization. This agreement
threatens civil and criminal penalties if the employee
reveals ANY information regarding the program. Thinking
the agreement will only be used for legal purposes and
will get them the coveted job, all employees eagerly
sign it.
This secrecy
agreement was originally designed to protect legitimate
classified information, to protect military personnel
during wartime and protect legitimate national defense
information and technology.
However,
because of the binding power of the agreement,
government agencies began using it as a powerful tool to
silence federal employees who question the legality of
certain government operations. It was the perfect tool
to threaten, silence or jail any whistle blower who
dared to challenge the secret operations of government.
Today, the
secrecy agreement is routinely used as an efficient
weapon to intimidate or silence employees. Annual
refresher briefings are given to remind employees of the
penalties for violating the agreement. These penalties
include huge fines, termination, financial ruin and even
prison – all of which mean the destruction of their
lives and their families. Most will not reveal any
wrongdoing, no matter how egregious, for fear of
calculated, severe retribution.
When employees
sign the secrecy agreement and are cleared for
classified programs, they are not told they are giving
up their right to a jury trial, or to sue the agency
that hired them. If they try to do so as a whistle
blower, they find they have no right to be heard in
federal court. Many have found this out when their case
was denied; then it was too late. That is part of the
system.
If the employee
attempts to contact their Congressman or Senator, their
representative is blocked from receiving any information
about their case, because they do not have the necessary
“clearance.”
When the
employee attempts to blow the whistle to the
Congressional intelligence committees, their response is
ignored. It is made clear to committee members that they
are not to touch such cases, so they refer them back to
their Senator or Congressman, who cannot access
information involved in their case.
If a courageous
employee continues to proceed and blow the whistle, a
system of personal and career destruction follows. This
begins with promotions being denied, being turned down
for sensitive or career enhancing assignments, and their
files being flagged, ruining their reputation inside
their agency. At this point their career is over. If
they go quietly, the retribution stops.
When the
employee still continues their effort to report the
information, their travel records, personnel records,
medical records and security records are searched for
mistakes or damaging information that can be used to
threaten them with termination. Their telephones and
computers are monitored searching for incriminating
information. If no substantive information can be found,
it is fabricated and placed in their file.
Employees who
refuse to back down are then subjected to internal
“security investigations,” multiple, hostile
“interviews,” attempting to get them to recant their
information, and multiple polygraph interrogations.
In many cases,
the employee is commanded to report to the internal
medical office for psychological evaluation. If they
comply, the evaluation labels them as paranoid,
unstable, or disgruntled. This information is placed in
their file and is used later to justify the agency’s
action in the event of outside scrutiny.
If the employee
contacts a member of the news media, they are
immediately cited with violating their secrecy agreement
and criminal penalties are filed against them. Several
news media outlets are connected to the CIA and NSA and
notify them of the employee’s contact.
Finally, the
employee is forced to resign after being threatened with
termination in kangaroo court meetings where the
information fabricated in their files is used against
them.
After
termination or forced resignation, interest rates on
their internal credit union loans are raised to make the
payments unaffordable. The release of the employee’s
retirement funds needed provide for their family are
blocked (a felony). The agency black lists them from
gaining employment with other government agencies or
contractors, further ruining them financially.
Dehumanized,
financially ruined and under severe emotional and mental
pressure, the employee’s family begins to break
apart. If the family’s foundation is not strong, this
results in alcoholism, depression and divorce. In some
cases, it has resulted in the employee committing
suicide, the ultimate goal of the program of
destruction. This silences the employee permanently,
obscuring the agency’s role in their destruction. It is
the perfect crime.
Should the
employee still have the resolve to endure this program
of career and personal destruction and continues to
press for release of the information, or if his family
members attempt to sue the agency for the illegal
activity, classified agencies will invoke the secretive
State Secrets Privilege, which orders the employee and
his family not to reveal the information or face
prison. If the family’s case reaches federal court, the
State Secrets Privilege is invoked and the case is shut
down – and sealed. Federal judges rubber stamp the
censoring of the case without reviewing the case facts.
Now that the
employee’s case, and in some cases their family’s case,
is shut down and under seal, citing “national security,”
the process of silencing the employee is complete. Many
are never heard from again, fearing prison if they talk
to anyone, including an attorney.
Using
attractive awards of multi-million dollar contracts, the
US government military industrial complex convinces
private corporations that their employees must be
cleared and sign secrecy agreements. This includes
employees at all levels, from secretaries to CEOs. Once
they have signed the secrecy agreement, they are bound
to keep all information, including potentially illegal
information, quiet, being threatened with the same
penalties.
To date, over
five million Americans have been required to sign this
secrecy agreement and now fall under the shadow of the
State Secrets Privilege.
Only a few
federal employees have made it through this systematic
process of destruction to reveal what they know about
the illegal operation they observed. Sadly, some
whistle blowers have died “mysterious” deaths or
committed “suicide.”
Employees in
intelligence agencies are aware of penalties contained
in the secrecy agreement and the huge risk in violating
it, even to expose corruption. Most look the other way
to protect their careers, retirements and families. Many
have observed the outward signs of the system of
personal and career destruction used on others and a
culture of fear exists. But, they are not fully aware
of all that is being done. The full scope of the system
is only known at the higher levels of the organization
and is hidden from employees, until its use is
necessary.
This is why we
do not see whistle blowers coming out and reporting what
they have seen. This system has been used and perfected
for over fifty years. It is being used because it works.
It works,
unless the system is exposed, the whistle blower knows
what is coming and prepares for it, and they are
supported by private organizations and individuals
dedicated to truth in government.
This support is
essential, not only to protect the whistle blower and
their family, but also to defend our Constitutional form
of government from tyranny.
Kevin Shipp:
Former CIA Counter Terrorism, Counterintelligence and
Staff Security Officer. Author, From the Company of
Shadows - CIA operations/use of secrecy.
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