Earwig transcript May 17-20

Phone Transcript, May 2012

• A classified transcript retrieved from CENTCOMASPAC, spanning May 17-20, 2012

  of communication between "Flintlight" (FL) and Steven W Howell (SWH)

  transcribed by Hailey M Jones

  edited by "LQ" - Li Qiaolian

• Retrieved covertly from the Organization from "D"
• Delivered to "F" (Felicity?) from "D"
• Deposited in a lockbox in Waco, and retrieved August 10th.

Page 1

Note from "D" to "F" F- Someone came into the Print Room. Had to rip the last few pages and cancel. Hope this is enough -D ************CLASSIFIED-CENTCOMASPAC************* Origin: CENTCOMASPAC SIGINT ASSET: EARWIG TARGET: FLINTLIGHT TRANSCRIPT BY: Jones, Hailey M. ************************************************ ************************************************ BEGIN TRANSCRIPT: 2245 GMT 5/17/12 SUBJECTS: FLINTLIGHT, STEVEN W. HOWELL CALL ORIGIN: FLINTLIGHT ************************************************ FLINTLIGHT: Hi Steve. STEVEN W. HOWELL[See File]: Hi...uh...it's been a while. FL: I know. SWH: What do you want? FL: Look, I'm in the shit. Bad. SWH: I can't help you, and if I could I wouldn't. FL: I don't have anywhere else to go. Look, I haven't slept in three days. I just need... SWH: I don't hear a damn thing from you for three years and you call me? You...look, I spent half a year looking at the bottom of a gin glass after you vanished. I'm not getting involved. FL: Steve, I'm sorry. I told you when we got involved that that might happen.

Page 2

SWH: You didn't tell me shit. I woke up and you were gone. You took my fucking cat! FL: Sorry about the cat...I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I don't have anywhere else to go. I'll tell you everything. SWH: Sure...sure FL: Ok where do you want me to start? I'll tell you everything I can that won't get you killed. SWH: [Call Disconnected] END CALL - 2248 GMT 5/17/12 ************************************************ BEGIN TRANSCRIPT: 0800 GMT 5/18/12 SUBJECTS: FLINTLIGHT, STEVEN W. HOWELL CALL ORIGIN: FLINTLIGHT ************************************************ FLINTLIGHT: Steve, don't hang up. STEVEN W. HOWELL: [Call Disconnected] END CALL - 0800 GMT 5/18/12 ************************************************ BEGIN TRANSCRIPT: 0815 GMT 5/18/12 SUBJECTS: FLINTLIGHT, STEVEN W. HOWELL CALL ORIGIN: FLINTLIGHT ************************************************ FLINTLIGHT: Please... STEVEN W. HOWELL: Fuck you, go away. [Call Disconnected] END CALL - 0815 GMT 05/18/12

Page 3

************************************************ BEGIN TRANSCRIPT:1434 GMT 05/18/12 SUBJECTS: FLINTLIGHT, STEVEN W. HOWELL CALL ORIGIN: FLINTLIGHT ************************************************ FLINTLIGHT: Steve, I need your help. Please... STEVEN W. HOWELL: Look Steph, I can't help you, I don't want to help you. Stephanie probably isn't your real name, is it? FLINTLIGHT: No...but that's no surprise to you is it? SWH: No. I guess not. FL: Will you listen for just a minute? SWH: Why would I? You'll just feed me a bunch of lies. You always lie. FL: I know. I had to...for your sake. You couldn't know... SWH: Why? That's bullshit. I wanted to make a life with you...I can keep secrets, I can take care of myself. What makes you think that ''you'' needed to take care of me? It was all lies Steph. I don't even know why I'm talking to you right now. FL: I couldn't explain then. If I hadn't taken those precautions...well, we couldn't be talking right now, cause we'd both be dead. I wanted to call...I wanted to be with you. You don't know...look, you drank gin for six months? I spent two years in Asia trying to get myself killed. I guess I didn't do a good enough job. I always thought...wished...we could make it work. I couldn't...but I'm out now. I'm out...I'm done. SWH: Look I wish I could believe you. I wish I could believe a word of this.

Page 4

FL: Ok, remember that place where we used to have coffee? SWH: Yeah FL: Remember that postal shop across the street? SWH: Yes FL: Go there. Open box 412. Code is 16 - 4 - 30. I've had some answers placed there for you. Go there now, you need to see it. Read what's there...I'll call again tomorrow. [Call Disconnected] END CALL - 1428 GMT 05/18/12 ************************************************ BEGIN TRANSCRIPT: 0927 GMT 05/19/12 SUBJECTS: FLINTLIGHT, STEVEN W. HOWELL CALL ORIGIN: FLINTLIGHT ************************************************ FLINTLIGHT: Did you read it? STEVEN W. HOWELL: Well as much as I could. I mean...how did you get that here. I, I could be in really deep shit for having this, right? Is it true? I mean, is it real? FL: Yeah...it's all real. It's my file. I had a friend stick his neck out for me to get it to you. SWH: Well why didn't you call him instead of me? FL: He owed me big...and now the debt is repaid. I won't ever speak to him again, especially if he has his way. SWH: So your real name is [redacted, LQ]? FL: Yeah

Page 5

SWH: This is a whole lot of stuff to digest. I mean...you...you've done some pretty...you've killed people. FL: Only when I had to. SWH: Is that supposed to make it better/ I dunno...I had no idea. I mean [redacted, LQ] is enough to deal with. So you're telling me this organization exists? Everywhere? The way it looks in this file? I mean come on, this is all conspiracy theory crap. FL: Yeah, but its real. ANd I was in it. I was a member of a movement within the Organization. We call it the Voltaire group...we tried to move the Organization in the right diration. Some people are still there fighting on the inside. I couldn't do it anymore. SWH: I read the last pages too. You're in some deep shit huh... FL: All the cards are on the table now Steve. If we make it out of this we can have that life we wanted. We can... SWH: Yeah, I love the unicorns and rainbows future you're making up here...but I don't see it, [redacted, LQ]. People are trying to kill you. And there going to kill me too if they know...wait, how do you know they don't know? FL: I'm moving through every internet cafe I can in south China. SWH: So you're in China? FL: Yeah. Anyway, I'm calling on an encrypted VOIP line...behind seven proxies. I'm not being tailed...it's unlikely that they know. Very unlikely. SWH: Ok...I'm going to choose to trust you. I have to trust you or walk away. So I trust you. I should run like hell, but I trust you. So what do you want me to do?

Page 6

FL: I need to get out of China. I don't have a passport...I don't have money. You know what I'm doing. I'm going public. And I have to do it carefully or all this intel and me, we'll all disappear. SWH: Can't you put it on Wikileaks or something and just run? FL: [Laughter] You think Assange is legit? He's a false flag...we...they...they own him. It's all a false flag. SWH: So what's your plan? FL: I need to get out of China. I also need to leak this info in such a way that we have time to escape and time for it to get out there so they can't censor it or corrupt it. SWH: I don't know whether I'm going with you yet. I'm no surperspy here...why are you asking me? FL: Well my assets are all burned...I thought considering your work you might have some good ideas. SWH: I'll see what I can do. I don't know what I ''can'' do, but I'll do my best. How can I get you money? FL: Western Union $10000 to Peoples Savings and International Trading Bank in Qingyuan. I should be able to take care of the rest myself. SWH: I'm worried about you Ste...[redacted, LQ]. I'm going to help as much as I can, but I'm not getting involved in that way until we're safe. I'm not going through that again. I'll help you, then when we're safe, we'll talk. And why the hell did you steal my cat? Seriously, that was fucked up. FL: I needed a cat. Cat's can snuggle...and there's no use torturing them cause they can't talk. SWH: Well is he OK? What did you do with him?

Page 7

FL: Toby's in Hong Kong right now with friends. He's assumed a new identity as well. SWH: If I see you again, you'd better be carrying that cat. FL: I'll call you again tomorrow. Think about how to leak this stuff, ok? And thanks for helping...really. SWH: Sure. Be safe, ok? FL: Ok. I'll try. [Call Disconnected] END CALL - 0938 GMT 05/19/12 ************************************************ BEGIN TRANSCRIPT: 1139 GMT 05/20/12 SUBJECTS: FLINTLIGHT, STEVEN W. HOWELL CALL ORIGIN: FLINTLIGHT ************************************************ FLINTLIGHT: It's me. STEVEN W. HOWELL: Hey. FLINTLIGHT: I have the cash, I'm heading east. I should be able to grab a container out of Shenzhen. I'll be heading overland for the next day, should be on my way back west in three days. I won't be able to call much. SWH: Are you going to bring the cat? FL: Yes...I'm going to bring the cat. You think of anything last night. SWH: Well its not like I got much sleep. I assume you're looking for a good method to spread your information quickly and safely, and if you could get that info in front of thousands of people who are really nosy and good at digging and investigating that would be even better?

Page 8

FL: Well yeah. I want enough people to know about this that the intel can't be contained. I need enough people aware that it would be impossible for the Organization to liquidate them and coverup. Whats your idea, putting this on community watch blogs or something? SWH: No. Are you traveling with a laptop? FL: Yes. SWH: Can you get around the Great FIrewall? FL: Yeah. SWH: Ok...get on Wikipedia...I want you to research a few terms. I'm not going to explain over the phone, but I think I have the perfect method to leak this intel. Search for I love bees. FL: What? SWH: I love bees. You can leak using the same concept...I mea____ordpress sit____ome spycr__ a video___