Show Recap
On the June 12, 2013 edition of Decrypted Matrix Radio, Max continued the week’s deep coverage of the NSA surveillance revelations and their ripple effects across American society. The show explored the chilling case of DNA collection at Alabama roadblocks, the military’s attempt to censor the Snowden story from its own personnel, shifting public opinion on the leaker, and key developments surrounding the FBI’s Boston office in the aftermath of the marathon bombing.
Alabama DNA Roadblocks and the Surveillance State
Max opened with the disturbing story out of St. Clair and Bibb counties in Alabama, where off-duty sheriff’s deputies in full uniform were stopping motorists at roadblocks and soliciting blood and DNA samples. The program, funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, offered drivers for a cheek swab and for a blood draw. While authorities insisted participation was voluntary, the ACLU’s Susan Watson pointedly asked how voluntary a request truly is when it comes from a uniformed police officer flagging you down at a roadblock. Max framed this as yet another data collection program eroding the boundary between government research and invasive surveillance of ordinary citizens.
Military Censorship of the NSA Story
In a move that underscored the government’s panic over the Snowden leaks, the Air Force issued a formal directive — a so-called Notice to Airmen — prohibiting personnel from accessing news stories about the NSA’s phone records collection and PRISM surveillance program on military networks. The 624th Operations Center warned that viewing publicly available news articles about the leaks on unclassified Air Force systems could constitute a Classified Message Incident. Max highlighted the absurdity of military personnel being barred from reading the same news stories available to every civilian with an internet connection, calling it information control in plain sight. Meanwhile, polling data showed more Americans viewed Edward Snowden as a patriot than a traitor, and security experts were publicly questioning whether the NSA’s bulk surveillance had actually played any meaningful role in foiling terror plots.
FBI Boston Chief Steps Down and Security Contractor Tactics
The show also covered the sudden departure of Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston field office, who had been the lead federal figure in the Boston Marathon bombing investigation. DesLauriers had originally planned to retire on April 15, 2013 — the very day of the bombing — but stayed on to oversee the manhunt before abruptly stepping down to take a corporate security position with the Penske Corporation. Max explored the questions surrounding the timing and circumstances of his departure. The episode closed with a segment on the methods used by private security contractors to target and discredit political opponents, tying it back to the broader theme of a surveillance apparatus that serves power rather than the public.
