Videogame Character Threatens National Security? 396
Watchful Babbler writes "Apparently, 'the lead item on the government's daily threat matrix one day last April' was clear and definite: a reclusive millionaire had formed a terrorist group with the intent of launching chemical weapons attacks on Western cities. The White House was notified and the Director of the FBI briefed as the government raced to find information. But then, according to USNews.com, a White House staffer decided to Google for information on suspected threat Don Emilio Fulci and found him -- in a video game - Sega's action title Headhunter. No word on exactly which sources and methods came up with this gem, but word in the E Ring is that Fulci had issued the cryptic warning, 'You have no chance to survive make your time'."
Again an example... (Score:5, Interesting)
not released in the US (Score:5, Interesting)
Did they get this info removed from google? (Score:5, Interesting)
Does the US Gov't have hooks into google to prevent "Terrorist" information from being found?
Here's proof... (Score:3, Interesting)
Don't they know that "all work and no play makes jack a dull boy"?
Perhaps we need to coin a new acronym.
How about "DSFR".
Do Some Freaking Reasearch.
-Goran
Something's fishy. (Score:4, Interesting)
Sounds like we were trolled. (Score:2, Interesting)
Anyone know of this character or even the game? I'm not really a Sega person... speaking of which... Sega? When was the last time you saw a Sega? And this happened last April.... hmm... something fishy.
Re:Hmmm (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:"Sir, we've received a terrorist threat!" (Score:5, Interesting)
"a borderline terrorist threat depending on what someone interprets it to mean." [wwmt.com]
So all you need to do is ... (Score:2, Interesting)
contrarian... (Score:5, Interesting)
Consider the Pentagon folks who looked at this "threat" and suspected sagely (and rightly) that it was too fanciful to be credible.
How closely do they resemble the Pentagon folks who, in early 2000, looked at jet-hijacking scenarios and suspected sagely (and wrongly) that they were too fanciful to be credible?
(See answer in back of book.)
Proof that video game ratings are necessary! (Score:4, Interesting)
People without moral or practical imagination--the types who have gutted our liberties with the Patriot Act, and led us to invade and torture Iraqis--exemplify the kind of simpleminded sorts who shouldn't be allowed to play M-rated video games.
Or run governments.
and so begins the era of Information Pollution... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Sounds like we were trolled. (Score:0, Interesting)
This reminds me of the Steve Jackson Games case (Score:3, Interesting)
In the process of fighting the Secret Service [sjgames.com], even with help from the EFF, Steve Jackson Games almost went under.
BTW, I'm not saying that the Steve Jackson case is the same as the FBI's current screw-up. But law enforcement makes mistakes, and sometimes they make big mistakes because they're simply not clued in to popular culture, not to mention computer technology as it is actually used in society.
Et tu, Steve? (Score:5, Interesting)
On March 1 1990, the offices of Steve Jackson Games, in Austin, Texas, were raided by the U.S. Secret Service as part of a nationwide investigation of data piracy... More than three years later, a federal court awarded damages and attorneys' fees to the game company...
The EFF also has a Top Ten most mis-reported elements [eff.org] of the case:
This instance with Sega's fictional character, though embarassing for the FBI, is certainly preferable to the above.
_________________________
I long for the day when Google stops asking me, "Did you mean: inigo rage [google.com]"
What am I missing here? (Score:3, Interesting)
I just don't see how we should be upset about the handling of this event. Yes, its kind of funny. The linked article seems to indicate that everything happened in the timeframe of one day. I mean, don't tell me you expected this guy to recognize some character from a video game?
So, terrorists just need to pollute Google? (Score:3, Interesting)
heh, that will throw them off the trail. lol
Re:Aha! (Score:3, Interesting)
But as it turns out, Hussein's scientists probably lied to him about the original estimates anyway.
Re:Almost unbelievable... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Hmmm (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Bad intel? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Almost unbelievable... (Score:5, Interesting)
He praised the document. Here's a quote from Powell's speech [slashdot.org] (On 2/5/03):
I would call my colleagues' attention to the fine paper that the United Kingdom distributed yesterday which describes in exquisite detail Iraqi deception activities.
The paper in question [google.com] was "Iraq - its infrastructure of concealment, deception and intimidation [number-10.gov.uk]".
Number 10 Downing Street later admited that they plagerized a document from a Graduate Thesis [number-10.gov.uk] (Search for "Iraq"). This certainly puts the quality of some of the intellegence in question.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,890
I'm not arguing with accuracy of the text itself. But look,
this was Bush's chance to provide inarguable evidence that we should go to War.
Powell was presenting the President's argument for War in Iraq in front of the whole world.
The US is supposed to be the greatest nation in the world. We go to war only as a last resort and only when are arguments are sound and just. Right?
Bush could have convinced the entire world if he had used quality evidence, when a huge percentage of the world (and the US) doubted the reasons for war.
So what does Powell, when presenting this inarguable evidence, cite as a "fine paper"? A document was was largely lifted from a Graduate Student thesis.