A gleaming science fiction-style control center modeled on Star Trek's Starship Enterprise — this is what the chief of the National Security Agency (NSA), General Keith Alexander, built when in charge of the U.S. Army's Intelligence and Security Command. American tax dollars were spent on a bizarre and futuristic operations room for the agency's creepily named Information Dominance Center, according to a new profile of the general in Foreign Policy magazine.
Colleagues in the security community describe Alexander as a "cowboy" and tech geek.
Unsatisfied with his war room, the general brought in a Hollywood set designer to work on a shiny Star Trek-style makeover complete with chrome paneling and doors that make a whooshing sound upon opening.
According to the Foreign Policy report, the general used the room's 22-foot main screen to show off his spying tools and used the facility's centerpiece captain's chair to impress his military and political overseers.
The revelation provides an insight into the mind of the man who heads the now disgraced spy agency. It seems to us that his surveillance motto, "Collect It All," could also apply to his childish fascination with such toys.
DBI Architects, Inc., the firm responsible for creating the chromed control center, boasts in promotional material available on its website that "The futuristic, yet distinctly military, setting is further reinforced by the Commander's console, which gives the illusion that one has boarded a star ship. The prominently positioned chair provides the commanding officer an uninterrupted field of vision to a 22'-0" wide projection screen."
The firm describes the control center thus: "This project involved the renovation of standard office space into a highly classified, ultramodern operations center. The Center's primary function is to enable 24-hour worldwide visualization, planning, and execution of coordinated information operations for the U.S. Army and other federal agencies."
--------------------------------------------------------
TomoNews is your daily source for top animated news. We've combined animation and video footage with a snarky personality to bring you the biggest and best stories from around the world.
For news that's fun and never boring, visit our channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/TomoNewsUS
Subscribe to stay updated on all the top stories:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TomoNewsUS
Stay connected with us here:
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TomoNewsUS
Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
Google+ http://gplus.to/TomoNewsUS