- Article
- Comments ()
The latest brainchild of a contentious Pentagon program -- an online gambling parlor that allows anonymous investors to make money predicting assassinations and terrorist attacks -- is drawing fire from Capitol Hill.
The Terrorist Information Awareness office will open the waging scheme Friday and begin signing up 1,000 traders to deposit funds for transactions. In a report to Congress, TIA said the program will provide the Defense Department "with market-based techniques for avoiding surprise and predicting future events."
Online trading begins Oct. 1, and by Jan. 1, at least 10,000 traders will be able to participate in the Policy Analysis Market.
Investors who successfully predict, for example, a missile attack by North Korea, the assassination of Palestinian Authority chief Yasser Arafat or the overthrow of the king of Jordan would profit financially, said the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The agency oversees the TIA program.
Critics on Capitol Hill sent a letter to TIA Director John Poindexter yesterday demanding that the trading scheme end immediately. They also are taking legislative action to kill funding for the entire TIA program.
"The federal government is encouraging people to bet on and make money from atrocities and terrorist attacks," said Sen. Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat, during a press conference disclosing the program's activities.
Mr. Wyden called the terrorist market "grotesque" and "bizarre."
"Betting on terrorism is morally wrong," he said.
"It's a harebrained scheme," said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, North Dakota Democrat. "I think this is an unbelievably stupid program that is so devoid of value. It is offensive to almost everyone."
Post a comment
There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.