Posted on 06/18/2013 12:28:15 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Bomb plots targeting the New York Stock Exchange and the city's subway were among more than 50 worldwide thwarted by top-secret surveillance programs since the al Qaeda attacks on the United States, authorities said on Tuesday.
Gen. Keith Alexander, National Security Agency director, FBI and other officials revealed startling details at a House Intelligence Committee hearing aimed at finding out more about the telephone and e-mail surveillance initiatives that came to light this month through leaks of classified information to newspapers.
It was the most comprehensive and specific defense of those methods that have come under ferocious criticism from civil liberties groups, some members of Congress and others concerned about the reach of government into the private lives of citizens in the interest of national security.
National security and law enforcement officials asserted that the leaks were egregious and carry huge consequences for national security.
"I think it was irreversible and significant damage to this nation," Alexander said when questioned by Rep. Michele Bachmann.
"Has this helped America's enemies?" the Minnesota Republican asked.
"I believe it has and I believe it will hurt us and our allies," Alexander said.
President Barack Obama has defended the programs as necessary in an era of terror, and said they have been vetted by Congress and are subject to strict legal checks.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
We’re supposed to believe that?
Yeah, "You might be a terrorist" for $800, Alex.
Nice
tell the enemy which of his plans we intercepted
This DAMAGING leak didn’t come from Snowden, the REAL damaging leaks are coming out now as the administration goes into hyperdrive to cover B. Hussein O’bama’s skinny butt
If this was the stock exchange bomb that the DemocRATS set off during the 2008 campaign, I don’t think the NSA really did that good of a job thwarting it.
Their observations worked really well in Boston.
They’ve got a grand total of ONE guy in prison who is arguably the result of their surveillance.
And only 330,000,000 people’s Fourth Amendment Rights had to be violated!
Great tradeoff of security for freedom. Way to go.
RE: If this was the stock exchange bomb that the DemocRATS set off during the 2008 campaign
Are you speaking literally or figuratively?
The latter.
Really? Then give us names and dates of arrest.
Yay for the NSA. Meanwhile I hope they enjoy my spice cake recipe that I sent to a few friends last year.
Saved the exchange, huh? The one that cleaned out the whole country and put us in hock? The one playing with junk mortgage debt market?
THAT is what the NSA saved, huh?
They present this as a DEFENSE...?
“We the NSA are ok cuz we saved the big BANKS and the Securities Industry...”
Let me get this straight —this will make us and especially LIBERALS like the NSA more...?
3*10^-7% is great.
Of course, he is letting the NSA have 100% of the credit for the fact that no bomb ever went off.
While there could have been a thousand reasons for that.
-Terrorists could not come up with operational funding for various reasons.
-Operatives not able to secure a visa or enter the U.S.
-Alert bystander stumbled onto their plan and blew the whistle.
-Local police presence (always pretty heavy around Wall St., I’d presume) deterred their attempt.
-Incompetent cave-dwellers failed to build a functioning bomb.
etc. etc. etc. etc.
It’s like having a Hurricane Season with no major damage, and then giving all of the credit to your very expensive Hurricane Deflector Project.
Ask the victims of the Boston bombing... uhh, I mean those who are still alive if they feel warm fuzzies and all safe knowing that the NSA has been collecting THEIR personal info.
I’m sure they’re comforted greatly.
Come on folks FOCUS.
How long before the NSA claims they stopped the Muslims from blowing up the moon?
NSA: We don’t listen, we only track phone numbers
NSA: We stopped an attack on the New York exchange from what we learned.
What is wrong with this picture?
If the NSA is such a crack outfit, why weren’t they able to stop the two rinky dink Boston bombers?
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