1. NSA Director's lie #1. Snowden's leaks didn't damage US National Security.
Everybody who wanted to know already knew. Snowden's "leaks" didn't reveal anything new.
Everybody who wanted to know already knew. Snowden's "leaks" didn't reveal anything new.
Every foreign government and potential terrorist knew, what I knew.
It has all been widely available on the net for many years.
Snowden "leaked" very little that was "new".
2. NSA Director's lie number 2. The Zazi subway plot has already been completely discredited. It could of been foiled with a warrant after finding probable cause
3. NSA Director's lie #3. The mass data collection of Americans, does not help America's National Security. It distracts from real dangers.
4. "Standard for permitting query of internal US phone calls is a "reasonable, articulable suspicion"".
They have been listening in on US troops PHONE SEX when they call home.
5. "Only 20 analysts within NSA are empowered to approve targeting US-based phone conversations" There are many hundreds, over a thousand.
6. Do you feel that Fisa court is a rubber stamp? Alexander does not feel that way. Over 33,000 requests have been approved - only 11 have been rejected.
7. "we would like to release as much of Fisa court rulings as we can" They've been covering them up as hard as they can.
8. "NSA only records that are collected" under 215 "is that telephony data. That's all." Alexander. Collecting pretty much ALL electronic comms
9. NSA can't target calls or emails of any US person, anywhere in world," without an individualized court order. Verizon covered many millions.
10. Do we maintain a database of all the emails that have ever been sent? "None at the NSA." Alexander. ALL emails are now being collected. Probably all have been collected since circa 2006.
11. Of the 4 cases cited, 2 could of been stopped with a warrant after probable cause (1 and 4).
No need for Mass Surveillance. The other 2 need to be checked.
12. Half a lie
How many contractors work as system administrators? "On the order of a thousand," Alexander says. There are over 4,000 private contractors. One third have Top Security security clearance. So that's at least 1,300. Alexander will know the exact number.
Some other statements need to be fact checked, 2 or 3 other lies will probably be found.
The above ia after a cursory look through the statements made and the most obvious of patent lies.
Truth number 1
With exposure of surveillance programs "We run the risk of losing these collection capabilities." Yep - they are unconstitutional under the 4th Amendment.
They are a gross invasion of privacy, don't make anyone safer and pose an existential threat to democracy in America.
They are also a threat to international relations with our allies. They are a gross invasion of privacy, don't make anyone safer and pose an existential threat to democracy in America.
The Germans have already cried foul and over 1 million people have signed the international petition to grant Snowden immunity and to stop the Prism program immediately.
The majority of the signatories are from Europe.
Let's restore the Rule of Law in America and stop spying on every American.
Nobody mentioned Boston.
How come with this Mass data collection program the Boston bombing wasn't stopped?
There was a wealth of evidence that the elder brother posed a substantive terrorist threat.
The FBI had been keeping tabs on him for at least 2 years previously BECAUSE he was a substantive terrorist threat.
That risk only increased during his 6 month visit to the Caucasus where he mixed with Islamic hate preachers.
Yet he was down graded on the watch lists - how come?
N.B Neither the Patriot Act nor Mass Surveillance was required to keep tabs on the bomber.
The FBI already had plenty of PROBABLE CAUSE to obtain a warrant.
Ruppersberger wants to know how to stop the next Snowden.
I want to know how they are going to stop getting distracted by spying on millions of totally innocent Americans and stop the next BOSTON - instead of completely failing in what is supposed to be their primary purpose.
Comment - the Senators were coaching and leading Alexander for the answers they wanted to hear.
Less of a hearing and more a piece of political theater designed to try and fool the gullible.
Bachmann asked a VERY leading question when she asked :-
Has the NSA collected every email ever sent?"
Of course not - the first email was sent in the mid 90's or even earlier.
The NSA have been collecting every American's email sent after circa 2006 and a large number from 2002.
The final irony :-
NSA Director General Alexander :- "trust us, we have internal safeguards" LOL
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