So you worked for NSA? Hummm... wonder when that was? I see from your FRpage that you were in the AF in the 60s. Well I retired from the AF in 83 and was in intelligence, not NSA however. I'm a little surprised that you would think Warrants, even after the fact ones, are needed in the case of monitoring Al Qaida terrorists conversations. You of all people should know that timeliness and secrecy are of the utmost concern in intelligence gathering and reporting. What do you think of the "whistleblower" who leaked this information? Since you are in favor of Warrants for NSA monitoring, I'm very curious to know your opinion on the so called "whistleblower" and if that person may have come from NSA. I have to beg forgiveness to the thread readers, but Mr. MineralMan says he does not respond to FReepMail. Wonder why that is?
"Since you are in favor of Warrants for NSA monitoring, I'm very curious to know your opinion on the so called "whistleblower" and if that person may have come from NSA."
I'd consider that extremely unlikely. As for my opinion, anyone entrusted with classified information should never release it, except to the proper authority.
I worked at the NSA in the late 60s. What I did there is classified, and I still follow the rules that were in place at the time.
As for the warrants, in general, there is a reason for the law, and that reason is to prevent information from being used in an illegal way. I have no problem whatever with monitoring of communications between US Citizens and terrorists. I think it should be done. I also think it should be done in accordance with the laws in effect. If those laws are inadequate, then new ones should be written.
COMINT is something that has a very narrow authorized audience, and that's as it should be.