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Welcome to the latest installment of the Monday Morning News Kick Off. While many of us are still reeling from the story about President Obama not knowing what the NGA was, there was plenty of other news happening this weekend that we should focus on as well. From satellite imagery exposing some ugly truths in Sri Lanka to the latest in cyber security, it was a very busy news weekend. Scroll down to learn more.

Satellite Imagery Contradict Sri Lanka on Civilian No-Fire Zone
Whenever there is a battle between satellite imagery and government propaganda, satellite imagery will always win out. This concept recently rang true when a strip of beach where tens of thousands of civilians huddled during the Sri Lankan military’s decisive assault against the Tamil Tiger rebels this month shows clear signs of heavy artillery shelling — based on using satellite imagery. That evidence contradicts government assertions that areas of heavy civilian populations were no-fire zones that were deliberately spared during the final weeks of military assault that ended this island nation’s quarter-century of civil war. Read more here.

Mysterious ‘Chip’ is CIA’s Latest Weapon Against Al-Qaida
According to a BBC article, the CIA is equipping Pakistani tribesmen with secret electronic transmitters to help target and kill al-Qaida leaders in the north-western tribal belt. According to the article, the CIA pays tribesmen to plant the electronic devices near farmhouses sheltering al-Qaida and Taliban commanders. Hours or days later, a drone, guided by the signal from the chip, destroys the building with a salvo of missiles. Read more here.

Rep. Visclosky Subpoenaed in PMA Probe
The PMA probe is certainly heating up. A federal grand jury has issued subpoenas to Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) and members of his staff as part of an ongoing investigation into a controversial, now-defunct lobbying firm, according to the lawmaker’s office. For those not familiar with this scandal, Visclosky has been among the largest recipients of donations from PMA lobbyists and their clients, along with Reps. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.). All three men have authored earmarks that benefited PMA clients. Read more here.

The C.I.A. Continues Campaign to Recruit Foreign Language Speakers
You all may recall our coverage of the C.I.A. radio campaign aimed at recruiting more foreign language speakers. It seems that the agency is continuing this effort by trying to develop training programs for new hires and existing employees. Leon Panetta, in a letter to employees last Friday, said that he will ask Congress to provide money for a five-year program. Read more here.

Cyber Could Be The New “Gold Rush” for Defense Contractors
Frankly, we were surprised that the NY Times took this long to do a story about how cyber security will be the new frontier for defense contractors. We have know about the naming of the cyber czar for months, and all of the high-profile data breaches as of late have made cyber security a major issue of our day. Anyhow, here’s the story about how contractors are hiring the best young talent to compete for cyber-related contracts.

As always, we hope you have a productive work week!

Tags: Add new tag, CIA and Foreign Language, CIA Drone, CIA Mysterious Chip, CIA Transmitter, Cyber Security, Defense Contractors, GEOINT, Murtha, Peter Visclosky, PMA, PMA and Murtha, Rep. Visclosky, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and Satellite Imagery