Steve Peacock's U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor

U.S. to Ramp Up Afghan Infowar with 'Aggressive Actions' -- Contractor to Bring About 'Desired Effects' in Global Media

The next phase of a global information-warfare campaign to influence public and media perceptions about U.S. operations in Afghanistan is unfolding, according to an updated U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (USFOR-A) planning document that U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor has located.

“The information domain is a battlespace, and it is one in which USFOR-A must take aggressive actions to win the important battle of perception,” according to the project’s modified Performance Work Statement (PWS), dated June 7.

Consequently, the Dept. of Defense, via the U.S. Army Contracting Command-Rock Island unit, is enlisting the assistance of the private sector not only to monitor how the media reports on Afghanistan, but to sway the opinions of the Afghan people about their government:

USFOR-A requires the ability to develop and implement a comprehensive, self-sustaining, long term media operations capability, to include stand-alone studio and regional communication collection and distribution hubs. This initiative also addresses efforts to collect public information and interpret it to support senior leader decision making, specifically regarding the attitudes of the public and the media concerning political, social and economic issues. This initiative will allow Government representatives in USFOR-A to inform key audiences (media and civilian populations internationally and within the region) to achieve desired affects. (Emphasis added)

Although dozens of vendors have expressed interest in the Public Affairs Operations-Afghanistan endeavor—and though no contract award has been announced—the Arlington, Va. and Los Gatos, Cal.-based Strategic Social Holdings already is hiring specialists to carry out duties for a USFOR-A project in Kabul that mirrors the above-mentioned initiative.

The co-founder and CEO of Strategic Social is Matt Bigge, whom the corporate website describes as a former U.S. Army ranger and Harvard Business School graduate.

Among the various duties and positions that the PWS describes (and for which Strategic Social is hiring) are Afghan Linguists/Media Monitors, who would provide “a minimum of 300 media monitoring hours per week.” At least one Pashto- and one Dari-speaking linguist/monitor “should be available at all times.”

An English-speaking media monitor also would be hired for the project, for which that person will assess and summarize “international, regional, and Afghan” Internet, radio, audio, video, and print media outlets.” That position will provide at least 144 media monitoring hours per week to “supplement three media monitor military personnel” who also will perform those tasks.

The contractor also will provide a comprehensive suite of public affairs services to USFOR-A and to Afghan authorities, including the deployment of media analysts,  media monitoring website/database developer and manager, the provision of social media and new media management, and advisement on how to engage in “strategic communications.” The management and maintenance of a Defense Video Information Distribution System (DVIDS) also will fall under the purview of the contractor.

This project is critical, according to the PWS, because insurgents have succeeded in undermining the credibility of USFOR-A, the international community, and Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) “through effective use of the information environment, albeit without a commensurate increase in their own credibility.”

Consequently, U.S. Forces and the GIRoA must “wrest the information initiative from the INS” in order to “maintain and strengthen the Afghan population's positive perception” of Afghan government institutions and the support that USFOR-A and the international community provide, the document says.

As a courtesy to readers and researchers, tomorrow, July 1, the Monitor will make available for download the full text of the Army's Performance Work Statement for the Public Affairs Operations-Afghanistan initiative.

FOR ADDITIONAL REGIONAL COVERAGE, PLEASE VISIT THE MONITOR'S AFGHANISTAN PAGE.

PLEASE ALSO CHECK OUT THE MONITOR'S INTELLIGENCE/SPYING PAGE.

U.S. to Provide Military Grade Radios to African Union; Aussie-Made Technology Sidesteps Export Controls

Restrictions on the export of military-grade radio communications systems are only temporarily delaying plans within the Department of Defense to get such equipment into the hands of regional African organizations – specifically the African Union, whose member-nations include states currently banned from receiving such equipment.

It appears the solution to this obstacle is for the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to navigate its way around Department of State export controls, according to a document obtained via federal contracting database research.

AFRICOM and the Defense Information Systems Agency will accomplish this by awarding a sole-source contract to CODAN, Inc., which has operations in Australia.

Delivering long-haul, high-frequency radio technology through that nation will help AFRICOM avoid scrutiny from the State Department, which is bound by International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

While the contracting database document only once mentions that the CODAN equipment is "non-ITAR rated," it repeatedly emphasizes that the geographic source of its production enables AFRICOM to steer clear of U.S. export controls.

"CODAN [HF] radios are manufactured and sold by an Australian company and thus governed and controlled by legislation issued by the Australian government," according to a Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition document, Solicitation #MIPR1F8G000145.

"CODAN [HF] radios are therefore not subject to the U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls [DDTC] and the equipment does not require a commodity jurisdiction under the US Munitions List," it continues. "An export license is only required by the Australian government for encryption and frequency hopping modes only; the basic radio configuration does not require an export license."

Bess A. Goodman, the DISA contracting officer who wrote the sole-source justification, readily acknowledged within the document that Harris Corp. – a past supplier of HF radio equipment already in use across Africa – is lawfully prohibited from exporting more of the powerful communications gear to the African Union.

The State Department's DDTC "has classified multiple equipment items" in the Harris equipment list as "defense articles." Whatever new equipment that AFRICOM provides to the AU must be interoperable with the Harris technology that the regional body already uses, DISA says.

AFRICOM's past efforts to secure export-control waivers for the Harris equipment had failed, according to the solicitation. In addition to the defense-article designation and restriction, U.N. arms-export embargoes specifically prevent signatories from transferring such technology to certain AU member-nations.

"There are three (3) countries in the African Union which are on the ITAR's proscribed country list that prevents U.S. government engagement projects," the documents acknowledges, but without identifying those nations. "Therefore, the U.S. Africa Command will be unable to obtain an export license for the ITAR-restricted Harris equipment."

It is unclear to which three nations AFRICOM is referring, as defense-article exports to AU members Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan are all subject to various ITAR restrictions.

AFRICOM claims it is imperative that the CODAN equipment be provided to AU headquarters as well as to the "regional economic centers" coordinating the activities of the African Standby Forces.

The absence of such secure communications could compromise "a current African Union mission," leading to a "possible loss of life." Replacing or redesigning the existing Harris HF radio system likewise would lead to a certain monetary loss for the U.S., it says. It did not identify the current mission.

It should be noted that the initial solicitation released April 12, titled "Exportable Long Haul HF Radios," was abruptly cancelled April 13 – only to be replaced by a nearly identical document under a different solicitation number, #MIPR1F8G000145.

Additionally, its replacement features the euphemistic new title "Expandable Long Haul HF Radios."

AFRICOM did not disclose the contract's estimated cost.

 This article originally appeared April 15, 2011, in WorldNetDaily

RELATED ARTICLE:  U.S. Military Supplies for Africa Ops Surge

NASA Creates Unit to Hasten Dawning of Nukes on Moon

The eventual deployment of nuclear reactors on the Moon blasted a baby step closer to reality today, with NASA embarking upon the creation of a new unit tasked with bringing such a nuclear capability to fruition. The Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) for Fission Surface Power (FSP) on Nov. 14 began searching for potential contractors capable of helping the new entity to initially develop and test a "simulated nucelar heat source," according to a presolicitation notice that The Peacock Report (TPR) located via a routine search of the FedBizOpps database. The TDU is "planned as a 5 or 6-year activity with concept definition and risk reduction that could lead to the start of a potential flight development program in the future," the document says:

FSP systems provide a potential option to support future human exploration missions on the Moon and Mars. FSP is a current technology project under the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) sponsored by the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.

TPR broke the story early last year that the Bush Administration envisions building nuclear facilities and robotic spacecraft-manufacturing plants on the Moon as a critical step in eventually sending humans to Mars (see TPR, 03/23/2006; New Details of U.S. Moon-Base Project Reveal Nuclear Intentions).

NSA Seeks to Pour Hundreds of Millions Into Surveillance Infrastructure

Global surveillance facilities operated by the National Security Agency (NSA) and its Central Security Service (CSS) are getting an infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of upgrades -- and NSA wants more. According to a “presolicitation notice” that The Peacock Report has obtained, the estimated construction cost to replace the Hawaii Cryptologic Center ranges from $100 million-$250 million. However, it will take at least $350 million to build a new complex capable of meeting NSA’s intelligence- and data-gathering mission, the agency claims in a separate FY 2007 budget document.

NSA’s activities and budget typically are classified. Consequently, the U.S. Navy -- which houses the Cryptologic Center literally beneath its Computer & Telecommunications Area Master Station in Kunia, Oahu -- is publicly handling the recruitment of potential contractors. Hence, the contracting notice is devoid of references to NSA.

However, a routine Google search for information about the Naval site produced a link to a detailed Dept. of Defense summary of the proposed Hawaii Regional Security Operations Center. The new Center is tentatively slated to be built on 39 acres of “non-federal land” in Wahiawa, about four miles northeast of the existing Cryptologic Center site. The replacement complex, replete with a new “antenna farm building” and below-ground command, operations and briefing centers, will resolve the “numerous and significant” vulnerabilities and deficiencies at the present location, the document says.

The existing NSA/CSS HAWAII compound houses more than 2,100 NSA personnel, who provide around-the-clock intelligence collecting and reporting 365 days a year from the underground facility. NSA expects to increase that number to about 2,800 by time the project is completed in 2009.

“National security and the predictive worldwide intelligence to defend our homeland are two of the nation’s highest priorities,” the NSA budget item says. “In addition to being a key element of our national security and intelligence apparatus, NSA/CSS HAWAII focuses on priority intelligence requirements of U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), Central Command (CENTCOM), Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC), and others in support of U.S. interests.”

A similar surveillance and intelligence-analysis facility project is underway at the Georgia Regional Security Operations Center, also known as NSA/CSS Georgia. Located in Ft. Gordon, NSA estimates that it will cost about $340 million to build a new complex that will adequately support the “intelligence collection and production mission” of these DoD-wide operations.

“The facility will house jointly manned intelligence production assets… and accommodate high performance data processing systems and intelligence dissemination and communications systems,” the budget document says.

Personnel strength at the existing NSA site, which includes Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and private contractor operatives, has increased from a staff of 1,200 in 1992 to an unspecified, current level -- a level which NSA anticipates “will reach approximately 3,000 by 2010.” Personnel working overseas and at other locations “have been identified to join the NSA/CSS Georgia” intelligence team, it says.

Additional NSA projects include the construction a 40,000 square feet classified document- and electronics destruction facility at the agency’s Ft. Meade, Md. Headquarters. It has requested $11.2 million for FY 07. The total amount for the Ft. Meade project, which is expected to start in June 2007 and finish June 2009, was not disclosed.

Menwith Hill Station in Harrowgate, England continues to undergo a modernization effort than began last year, when it began planning the construction of 110,000 square feet intelligence operations building. The facility will replace an existing “vermin infested” structure that is too small to handle current demands and has aging infrastructure that will be unable to handle technological advances “that are coming on-line.” The document does not offer details on the nature of those advances.