NSA Director Admits Lying About Phone Surveillance Stopping Terror Plots

[Chris]

The head of the National Security Agency (NSA) admitted before a congressional committee this week that he lied back in June when he claimed the agency’s phone surveillance program had thwarted 54 terrorist “plots or events.â€

NSA Director Keith Alexander gave out the erroneous number while the Obama administration was defending its domestic spying operations exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. He said surveillance data collected that led to 53 of those 54 plots had provided the initial tips to “unravel the threat stream.â€

But Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Wednesday during a hearing on the continued oversight of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that the administration was pushing incomplete or inaccurate statements about the bulk collection of phone records from communications providers.

“For example, we’ve heard over and over again that 54 terrorist plots have been thwarted by the use of (this program),†Leahy said. “That’s plainly wrong,†adding: “These weren't all plots and they weren't all thwarted.â€

Alexander admitted that only 13 of the 54 cases were connected to the United States. He also told the committee that only one or two suspected plots were identified as a result of bulk phone record collection.

Leahy was not happy. “We’re told we have to [conduct mass phone surveillance] to protect us, and the statistics are rolled out that they’re not accurate,†he said. “It doesn’t have the credibility here in the Congress, it doesn't have the credibility with this chairman and it doesn’t have the credibility with the country.â€

Went ahead and posted the full article this time because it was all pretty important, but here's the link: NSA Director Alexander Admits He Lied about Phone Surveillance Stopping 54 Terror Plots | The State Weekly

Is anyone really surprised? I wanna' say this NSA thing is really backfiring, but much of the general public still don't know what it is and what's going on, nor do they care, so I don't see much being done about it.

 

[Deezy]

Can't say I'm surprised, counter-terrorism is never going to be as effective as common sense. I wouldn't be comfortable knowing the government is monitoring phones in my country and the possiblility of them listening to or reading my stuff, not that I have anything to hide, but I do have the right to my privacy.

This is what them freedom loving, gun control and healthcare hating blueberries in Congress should be shutting the government down for, but if it gives them the illusion of safety, take away those "freedoms."

 

[Kiffy Lube]

Only problem I'll have is they backtrack my text messages and have some keyword search for slang words involvin' narcotics.

Still can't stand how many dumbass people think if they give up their privacy they'll be more safe but then again those idiots aren't THINKIN'.