Gen Hayden: The purpose of all this is not to collect reams of intelligence, but to detect and prevent attacks. The intelligence community has neither the time, the resources nor the legal authority to read communications that aren't likely to protect us, and NSA has no interest in doing so. These are communications that we have reason to believe are al Qaeda communications, a judgment made by American intelligence professionals, not folks like me or political appointees, a judgment made by the American intelligence professionals most trained to understand al Qaeda tactics, al Qaeda communications and al Qaeda aims.
Their work is actively overseen by the most intense oversight regime in the history of the National Security Agency. The agency's conduct of this program is thoroughly reviewed by the NSA's general counsel and inspector general. The program has also been reviewed by the Department of Justice for compliance with the president's authorization. Oversight also includes an aggressive training program to ensure that all activities are consistent with the letter and the intent of the authorization and with the preservation of civil liberties. On 1/26/06, Ben Doom wrote: > Tony wrote: > > you know its all worst case scenario really, but for fucks sake, if > > their wiretapping > > prevents even 1 innocent american life... isnt it worth it? > > If I trusted them to use this for that and only that, then maybe. Not > yes, maybe. But I don't. I want judicial oversight. I don't trust the > gov't, because the gov't is made up of people. Stop watching what > they're doing, and it only takes 1 overzealous agent to start this even > further down the slippery slope. > > I mean, why stop at terrorism? What about bank robberies, drugs, and > sodomy? > > I don't think we should stop trying to root out terrorists. I just want > judicial oversight making sure that that's what they're doing. > > --Ben > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:194602 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=11502.10531.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
