Main Core

Main Core is the code name of an American governmental database that is believed to have been in existence since the 1980s. It is believed that Main Core is a federal database containing personal and financial data of millions of United States citizens believed to be threats to national security.[1]


National Security Agency surveillance

History

The Main Core database is alleged to have originated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1982, following Ronald Reagan's Continuity of Operations plan outlined in the National Security Directive (NSD) 69 / National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 55, entitled "Enduring National Leadership", implemented on September 14, 1982.[1][2]

The existence of the database was first asserted in May 2008 by Christopher Ketcham[3] and again in July 2008 by Tim Shorrock.[2] This leak about the secret database was among the first of many mass surveillance disclosures.[4] The Main Core database was supposedly instrumental in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.[5]

In 2018, after a FOIA request to release information about Main Core, the Department of Homeland Security replied that there were no "maincore" or "main core" identified in their records or archives.[6]

Description

The Main Core data, which is believed to come from the NSA, FBI, CIA, and other sources,[1] is collected and stored without warrants or court orders.[1] The database's name derives from the fact that it contains "copies of the 'main core' or essence of each item of intelligence information on Americans produced by the FBI and the other agencies of the U.S. intelligence community".[1]

As of 2008, there were allegedly eight million Americans listed in the database as possible threats, often for trivial reasons, whom the government may choose to track, question, or detain in a time of crisis.[7]

See also

References
  1. Shorrock, Tim (July 23, 2008). "Exposing Bush's historic abuse of power". Salon.com. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  2. Goodman, Amy (July 25, 2008). "Main Core: New Evidence Reveals Top Secret". Democracy Now. Retrieved 2010-12-19.
  3. Satyam Khanna, "Govt. May Have Massive Surveillance Program for Use in 'National Emergency,' 8 Million 'Potential Suspects'" Archived 2016-04-10 at the Wayback Machine, Think Progress blog, May 20, 2008.
  4. "The Last Roundup: MAIN CORE". Cryptogon.com. 18 May 2008. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  5. Kurt Nimmo (12 June 2013). "Government Keeps List of 8 Million Names Considered Threats". Arhive.org. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  6. "DEMA FOIA Case Number 2018-FEFO-00963". Muckrock.com. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  7. Christopher Ketcham, "Is the government compiling a secret list of citizens to detain under martial law?". Archived from the original on August 31, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-29.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link), RADAR Online, 15 May 2008
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