Posts

Obama Doubles Down: More Sanctions On North Korea After Sony Hack

/0 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: APBy David E. Sanger and Michael S. Schmidt. The Obama administration doubled down on Friday on its allegation that North Korea’s leadership was behind the hacking of Sony Pictures, announcing new, if largely symbolic, economic sanctions against 10 senior North Korean officials and the intelligence agency it said was the source of “many of North Korea’s major cyberoperations.”

The actions were based on an executive order President Obama signed on vacation in Hawaii, as part of what he had promised would be a “proportional response” against the country. But in briefings for reporters, officials said they could not establish that any of the 10 officials had been directly involved in the destruction of much of the studio’s computing infrastructure.

In fact, most seemed linked to the North’s missile and weapons sales. Two are senior North Korean representatives in Iran, a major buyer of North Korean military technology, and five others are representatives in Syria, Russia, China and Namibia. (Read about more sanctions on North Korea HERE)

____________________________________________

Krauthammer: North Korea Already ‘Sanctioned Up the Wazoo’

By Fox News. Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer said Friday on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that President Obama’s sanctioning of North Korea is “a farce from beginning to end.

“Now I’m not criticizing the administration, because there are no choices,” he said. “North Korea doesn’t have anything, doesn’t do anything, it doesn’t export anything except illegal stuff which is obviously sanctioned. It’s been sanctioned up the wazoo.” (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller on Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

North Korea: Attack on Obama Wasn’t Racist Because not all Monkeys are Black

/4 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: Getty

Photo Credit: Getty

By Frances Martel. “Obama always goes reckless in words and deeds like a monkey in a tropical forest,” a state article written for the Korean Central News Agency– the government’s main propaganda outfit, remarked. In the same article, it described the United States’ efforts to distribute internet access as “without shame” and compared them to “children playing tag.”

Speaking to Argentine radio station Rock&Pop, Kim Jong Un’s man in Latin America clarified that calling America’s first black president a “monkey” is not racist.

“It is absolutely not a racist comment,” noted Alejandro Cao de Benós. “Not every monkey is black.”

He added wishes that Sony “lose much money” on The Interview and attempted to draw a parallel to American government, claiming that anyone making a similar film about President Obama would be arrested:

Independent of its comedic character, what you cannot do is simulate the assassination of a president. This is a question of respect towards a leader elected by his population. I invite you to make a movie attempting to assassinate President Obama. You would be arrested surely… you would be condemned and sent to Guantánamo.

(Read more about the attack on Obama HERE)

_________________________________________________

Activist Will Launch ‘The Interview’ Into North Korea via Balloon Drop

By Kate Scanlon. An activist has decided to bring “The Interview” to the people of North Korea.

Park Sang-hak, a North Korean defector and an activist against its regime, will launch into North Korea balloons carrying DVDs and USBs containing the controversial film, according to the Associated Press.

“The Interview” depicts the death of the country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un.

“North Korea’s absolute leadership will crumble if the idolization of leader Kim breaks down,” Park told the AP.

Park said he plans to send 100,000 DVDs and USBs with the movie into North Korea next month. (Read more from this story HERE)

Follow Joe Miller at Twitter HERE and Facebook HERE.

Six Hackers Identified in Sony Hack, One a Former Employee

/1 Comment/in , /by

hackersNorse, the cybersecurity firm that first identified a potential insider in the massive November hack of Sony Pictures, believes it’s uncovered evidence on six individuals primarily involved in the attack, including one former Sony employee with ”extensive knowledge of the company’s network and operations.”

Senior vice president at Norse Kurt Stammberger told the Security Ledger late Sunday the company has identified six people “with direct involvement in the hack,” two of whom are based in the U.S. along with one in Canada, Singapore and Thailand.

The list also includes a former decade-long Sony veteran who “worked in a technical role” and was laid off in May. Norse previously identified the ex-employee as “Lena,” and said she claimed to have connection to the “Guardians of Peace” hacker group that took credit for the attack against Sony, which has so far resulted in leaked employee information, executives’ emails, unreleased films and the limiting of “The Interview” theatrical release in response to a terrorist threat.

The FBI has attributed all of the above to North Korea due to the film’s plot, which centers around an attempt to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. (Read more about the hackers identified HERE)

Sony Reverses Course, "The Interview" to Now Play on Christmas Day

/1 Comment/in , /by

MovieDespite threats from hackers, Sony (SNE) Pictures is making the controversial Seth Rogen comedy available at a limited number of theaters starting on Christmas.

The movie studio’s CEO, Michael Lynton, said Tuesday afternoon that “while we hope this is only the first step of the film’s release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech.”

By Tuesday evening, slightly more than 200 independently-owned theaters had agreed to show the film.

More might still get on board: one Sony source said the studio is “still counting” the total number, and that it could end up “around 300.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Sony Cancels Release of 'The Interview'; FBI Links North Korea to Cyberattack on the Company

/1 Comment/in , /by

Credit - Sony Pictures

Credit – Sony Pictures

LOS ANGELES – The FBI has connected North Korea to the Sony Pictures cyberattack, a federal law enforcement source told Fox News Wednesday, hours after the company announced it had scrapped the Dec. 25 release of “The Interview” after a number of major movie chains said they would not show the film.

The administration reportedly will call out North Korea on its role on Thursday.

However, the source also told Fox the hacking attack did not necessarily come from inside the borders of North Korea.

Until Wednesday, the Obama administration had been saying it was not immediately clear who might have been responsible for the computer break-in. North Korea has publicly denied it was involved.

In canceling he Christmas day release, Sony released a statement saying, “In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.”

Later, a Sony spokesman said the company had no further release plans for the film, Variety reported.

Read more from this story HERE.

Juan Williams: Sony Execs' Emails Reveal White Liberal Hypocrisy in all its Glory

/1 Comment/in , /by

Credit - Fox News

Credit – Fox News

White liberal hypocrisy on race is so delightful for conservatives.

White conservatives are always on defense against charges of hating President Obama because he is black; suppressing minority voters and indifference to the difficulty minorities have living everyday with the legacy of slavery and a culture filled with stereotypes of black inferiority.

This week white conservatives can take a break, step out of the dock and make way for white liberals.

Hacked emails from Hollywood’s white, liberal elite show them belittling the president by assuming his taste in movies is confined to racial stereotypes fitting just another black guy.

“Should I ask him if he likes’ DJANGO?’” asked Amy Pascal, a Sony Pictures’ co-chair. Scott Rudin, a movie producer, responds: “Or ‘The Butler’… or ‘Ride-Along. ‘ I bet he likes Kevin Hart.”

Where to begin unpacking that powder keg of race and class bigotry?

Pascal is one of Hollywood’s most powerful people and certainly at the top of the movie industry’s list of most influential women. She must have a penetrating intellect and tremendous business savvy.

Read more from this story HERE.