Tuesday
Jan262010
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill Idle hands
Jan 26, 2010 Climate: CRU FOI I was talking to a contact today about how the National Domestic Extremism Team came to be involved in the Climategate investigation. Apparently NDET was set up to deal with the animal extremists, but turned out to be rather to good at their assigned job. Having prosecuted and locked up all the available animal rights people, the team found it had nothing else to do.
My contact had concluded, therefore, that their involvement was simply a case of making work for idle hands.
Reader Comments (15)
As one of the many who put in a FOI request, I have now been contacted by a detective constable (Joint Major Investigation Team), Norfolk Constabulary.
I'm assuming I am not alone? I've probably missed it, but I've not heard any one else reporting this on the blogosphere though. (Help! Wasn't me Guv...).
It's all quite civil and friendly so far. But I need to complete a long form: "Who is my ISP?", "Do you participate in any forums on climate change?", "What is your stance on climate change?", "What did you require the data for?" etc
No flavour of "National Domestic Extremism" as yet. Which will please my wife.
Are you permitted to post a copy of the form? It would be interesting to see the information they're collecting.
Hmmm.
All you need is for Phil Jones to find a horse's head in his bed and we'll all be getting the knock on the door at 3:00am.
Richard M: I seem to recall that on CA many people posted that they had been contacted and there were long discussions about the implications and how to respond.
Copied in from another thread
Reply received already from Phil Willis:-
"Dear Mr Brumby,
"Thankyou for your email, which I have passed onto the Science and Technology Select Committee clerks. I assure you that when we are considering the emails leaked from UEA we will take your submission into consideration.
"I'd also like to add that I accept that my use of the phrase 'Climate Deniers' was a mistake, and I shall endeavour not to use it in the future. I apologise for any offence caused by my error, although I assure you that none was intended.
"Yours Sincerely,
Phil Willis MP"
Fair play to him, a reasonable response I think.
No one has spotted (I would have emboldened it if I knew how)
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"emails leaked from UEA"
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That's from the Chairman of the Committee investigating the emails.
No mention of a hacker there!
Martin
Good spot!
Richard M
This is a bit Orwellian IMHO. I'd be inclined to tell them where to get off.
Richard M,
I totally agree with the Bishop .
Unwarranted intrusion onto your motives for making a request and demanding your ISP - what possible relevance does this have except to try and finger you for the leak/hack.
Fishing expedition.
I also received an email requesting my help. After checking with some folks involved more actively at CA, I was perfectly willing to listen to their questions - answering of course is a separate issue plus I would ask to record the conversation. However, perhaps because I am located in the US, they said they would be in contact with me later.
What is interesting here is that any questions posed to climate bloggers are likely to end up being posted. This puts the investigation under additional scrutiny. Such fishing expeditions are likely to be pretty unproductive.
I know that they have approached several bloggers - Steve M, Lucia for example. Not me though. Bit odd, isn't it?
I think my inclination would be to post the questions if I thought they were obtrusive or just a case of idle coppers setting up files on people in order to justify their existence.
Word of caution. As it's an ongoing police investigation, I'd check first if it would be ok to post the questions. Given people made legal FOI requests, some of the information asked for seems a bit wide ranging.
Atomic Hairdryer
I'm expecting a phone call before long. The form I received was a *.doc. I am such a poor candidate for a hacker that I can't even open those files cleanly! (Plod seems unaware that there is a non-Microsoft universe? Then again, should I own up to the fact that I mess with Perl on Unix for a living?). So I have requested the phone interview option instead of the document option. I'll ask if I am *allowed* to post the interview form.
As for not interviewing the Dissentient yet... Perhaps their thumbscrews are stuck on back order?
Richard M- Maybe offer to consult for them? Some of the ACPO's specialist agencies can be nice money makers with the going rate for their services in the order of £500 per head per day. So it could turn out to become an expensive investigation, and it does seem to be dragging on. Wish they'd hurry up and publish a report as I'm running out of popcorn.
Much like the origins of the drug war in the US being due to the repeal of alcohol prohibition. They had all those Untouchables standing around with nothing to do...
On the subject of the form from the police, I suggest you write back asking if completion of said form is voluntary and, if it is not, under what statutory authority is it being sent? As I understand the FoI, the organisation from which the information is requested has no right to ask WHY it is being requested, far less refer the request to the police. Is it being dealt with under FoI, or the Environmental Information Regs?