Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
NBC; ABC
April 9, 2008
NBC Nightly News, 7:00 PM
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Congress revealed late today the undercover government investigators have been able to buy sensitive military goods online, including night vision goggles, body armor, even plane and helicopter parts. That tracks with the results of an NBC News investigation showing how easy it is to buy special military equipment meant, of course, to protect U.S. troops.
NBC News senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers has our report.
LISA MYERS: American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan wear a specially designed patch on their uniforms, often bearing the image of a U.S. flag to help quickly identify friend from foe. NBC News will not reveal exactly how the patches work, but military experts say they are especially critical at night in distinguishing the good guys from the bad.
RICK FRANCONA [NBC News Military Analyst]: That’s what makes it important is when you’re wearing night vision goggles and you look over at someone and you can see the patch right away.
MYERS: But an NBC news investigation found that the patches and the uniforms to go with them are widely available for sale in surplus stores and on the internet. We even were able to ship the patches overseas – no questions asked. At this military surplus store, we easily bought combat uniforms and patches. The clerk even explained how they work.
CLERK [Military Surplus Store]: It’s to identify friend or foe, and because this material reflects in such a way only the U.S. and their allies have it.
MYERS: These transactions are legal, but many military experts say the Pentagon should do much more to keep these sensitive items from falling into the wrong hands. On the internet, we bought from any number of online vendors and the packages arrive quickly. We asked an NBC staffer with an Arab name living in the Middle East to see if he could buy these items too – no problem. Uniform clothing and these patches meant to identify U.S. troops on the battlefield arrived at his hotel in Jordan.
Retired four-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey –
GEN. BARRY MCCAFFREY (RET.) [NBC News Military Analyst]: No question. This is a serious violation of security for U.S. combat forces deployed abroad. It’s a risk.
MYERS: He warns that the enemy, wearing U.S. uniforms and patches, could initially pass for U.S. soldiers, causing American soldiers to hold their fire. Tonight, a military spokesman downplayed the threat. He says U.S. soldiers in Iraq know to take preventative measures to identify the enemy before it’s too late.
Lisa Myers, NBC News, Washington.
World News With Charles Gibson, 6:30 PM
CHARLES GIBSON: A congressional investigation has revealed just how easy it is for anyone with cash and a computer to purchase top-of-the-line U.S. military gear. Just go to eBay. There, for sale, is equipment that America’s frontline troops rely on, but it’s supposed to be off-limits to the rest of us.
Here’s ABC’s Jonathan Karl.
JONATHAN KARL: How do U.S. combat troops keep from firing on each other at night? For one, they wear special infra-red tabs on their uniforms. They’re supposed to be available only to the military. The government’s undercover investigation found them for sale on eBay and Craigslist.
A draft of the report obtained by ABC News says this puts U.S. troops at risk because enemy fighters could pose as Americans. And it’s not just infra-red tabs, investigators were able to buy all kinds of sensitive military equipment online – parts for Chinook helicopters and F-14 fighter jets. The only country in the world still flying F-14s? Iran. Investigators bought the parts from an eBay seller in Colorado. Where did he get it? The seller told investigators he couldn’t remember.
It’s not hard to find this stuff. Military uniforms are widely available on the internet and we were able to find those sensitive infra-red tabs with a quick search on e-bay. Investigators were also able to buy body armor, military-grade night vision goggles, and every part of the current military uniform from boots to beret.
The GAO said most of it appeared to be stolen from the military. Bidders came from all over the world, including China, Bulgaria, Russia, and Thailand.
REP. JOHN TIERNEY (D-MA): The taxpayers, you know, don’t want to be losing their materials this way, and we certainly don’t want very sensitive items getting in the hands of people that are going to do us harm.
KARL: EBay did not return our calls. The CEO of Craigslist told us, quote, “We are absolutely committed to do our part to minimize the sale of these items.”
Jonathan Karl, ABC News, Washington.
April 9, 2008
NBC Nightly News, 7:00 PM
BRIAN WILLIAMS: Congress revealed late today the undercover government investigators have been able to buy sensitive military goods online, including night vision goggles, body armor, even plane and helicopter parts. That tracks with the results of an NBC News investigation showing how easy it is to buy special military equipment meant, of course, to protect U.S. troops.
NBC News senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers has our report.
LISA MYERS: American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan wear a specially designed patch on their uniforms, often bearing the image of a U.S. flag to help quickly identify friend from foe. NBC News will not reveal exactly how the patches work, but military experts say they are especially critical at night in distinguishing the good guys from the bad.
RICK FRANCONA [NBC News Military Analyst]: That’s what makes it important is when you’re wearing night vision goggles and you look over at someone and you can see the patch right away.
MYERS: But an NBC news investigation found that the patches and the uniforms to go with them are widely available for sale in surplus stores and on the internet. We even were able to ship the patches overseas – no questions asked. At this military surplus store, we easily bought combat uniforms and patches. The clerk even explained how they work.
CLERK [Military Surplus Store]: It’s to identify friend or foe, and because this material reflects in such a way only the U.S. and their allies have it.
MYERS: These transactions are legal, but many military experts say the Pentagon should do much more to keep these sensitive items from falling into the wrong hands. On the internet, we bought from any number of online vendors and the packages arrive quickly. We asked an NBC staffer with an Arab name living in the Middle East to see if he could buy these items too – no problem. Uniform clothing and these patches meant to identify U.S. troops on the battlefield arrived at his hotel in Jordan.
Retired four-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey –
GEN. BARRY MCCAFFREY (RET.) [NBC News Military Analyst]: No question. This is a serious violation of security for U.S. combat forces deployed abroad. It’s a risk.
MYERS: He warns that the enemy, wearing U.S. uniforms and patches, could initially pass for U.S. soldiers, causing American soldiers to hold their fire. Tonight, a military spokesman downplayed the threat. He says U.S. soldiers in Iraq know to take preventative measures to identify the enemy before it’s too late.
Lisa Myers, NBC News, Washington.
World News With Charles Gibson, 6:30 PM
CHARLES GIBSON: A congressional investigation has revealed just how easy it is for anyone with cash and a computer to purchase top-of-the-line U.S. military gear. Just go to eBay. There, for sale, is equipment that America’s frontline troops rely on, but it’s supposed to be off-limits to the rest of us.
Here’s ABC’s Jonathan Karl.
JONATHAN KARL: How do U.S. combat troops keep from firing on each other at night? For one, they wear special infra-red tabs on their uniforms. They’re supposed to be available only to the military. The government’s undercover investigation found them for sale on eBay and Craigslist.
A draft of the report obtained by ABC News says this puts U.S. troops at risk because enemy fighters could pose as Americans. And it’s not just infra-red tabs, investigators were able to buy all kinds of sensitive military equipment online – parts for Chinook helicopters and F-14 fighter jets. The only country in the world still flying F-14s? Iran. Investigators bought the parts from an eBay seller in Colorado. Where did he get it? The seller told investigators he couldn’t remember.
It’s not hard to find this stuff. Military uniforms are widely available on the internet and we were able to find those sensitive infra-red tabs with a quick search on e-bay. Investigators were also able to buy body armor, military-grade night vision goggles, and every part of the current military uniform from boots to beret.
The GAO said most of it appeared to be stolen from the military. Bidders came from all over the world, including China, Bulgaria, Russia, and Thailand.
REP. JOHN TIERNEY (D-MA): The taxpayers, you know, don’t want to be losing their materials this way, and we certainly don’t want very sensitive items getting in the hands of people that are going to do us harm.
KARL: EBay did not return our calls. The CEO of Craigslist told us, quote, “We are absolutely committed to do our part to minimize the sale of these items.”
Jonathan Karl, ABC News, Washington.