NIEM a front for the CIA?

http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/blumenthat-niem-not-cia-trojan-horse/2010-04-04


This article is unbelievable. The Health guy identified rumors that NIEM was a front for the CIA because the data could move easily between agencies, and disavowed/denied any knowledge. Why the CIA would be interested in the scans of Grandma's colon cancer is quite beyond me.

While it's true that interoperable railroads allowed the Nazis to invade Eastern Europe, the idea of keeping government data completely *#$#ed up as a hedge against invasive prying has got to be way up the list - maybe we couldy bury individual time capsules in the mall that can only be dug up by court order and citizen watchdogs could oversee (but THAT watchdog could be working for the CIA!).

What do do? Standardized data would be far easier to audit, control and meter among agencies. Lets join the 21st centrury.