There are so many things wrong with this story it's hard to know where to begin:

posted by The Vidiot @ 7:37 PM Permalink

U.S. Military Looks Into Data Sales in Afghanistan

[...]
The U.S. military said Tuesday that it was looking into reports that computer drives containing military data, some marked "secret," were available for as little as $20 in a bazaar outside its biggest base, and soldiers were visible making rounds there. But once they passed, at least two shopkeepers still offered memory drives for sale.

OK, first; why the hell are secret docs not encrypted!? Next:

Nearby, another fence displayed two memory drives that he said an Afghan worker on the base delivered to him after a shift change Tuesday morning. He invited a shopper to return today, when he expected four more drives to arrive.

Lt. Mike Cody, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said Tuesday that Bagram's commanders "take operational security seriously."

Of course you do, that's why military data were stolen and their secret contents weren't encrypted.

The Times first reported Monday that drives for sale at the bazaar contained documents marked "secret" and that they also listed the names and Social Security numbers of nearly 700 U.S. service members. In addition, they included discussions of U.S. efforts to "remove" or "marginalize" Afghan government officials whom the military considered "problem makers."

Lesser: Can you say identity theft? I would think that a soldier doesn't have access to SS numbers, so these disks must have come from an officer's computer.

Greater: Yet another example of how Bushco spreads democracy like pimps spread their ho's. Overthrowing elected leaders because we don't like them is not how one encourages democracy (see Chavez, et al.)

As a result, less than 200 yards from the main gate, information on operations, staff and other matters is available to any buyer.

Is it just me or do you think that the fact that the military, in a country they overthrew, can't find spies, in an open bazaar, 200 yards from their main gate, is yet another sign of the 'military intelligence' that started this war!?

Emotionally, I find the next section the most disturbing ...

Then there is the sadly personal, such as the resignation letter of a military police officer, whose revelation that she was a rape victim turned up on a drive purchased at the bazaar.

I guess I'm just numb from Bushco constantly trying to institute 'regime change', being incompetent, outsourcing our security, killing thousands of Americans for a lie, and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians in the same cause, but her resignation to/from her rape just ... Uuhhha hualp arrrrgh ... (words fail me.)

In the local bazaar, a disappointed shopkeeper who couldn't interest a reporter in an assortment of Army binoculars, watches, bowie knives, combat boots and other U.S. military items suggested he come back in a few weeks.

A large group of American soldiers is due to go home, he said, and when soldiers pack to leave, there are always good pickings for thieves, he said.

"There are a lot of things soon to come out of Bagram" he promised.

Truer words were never spoken.