The New Yorker in its December 6 issue includes this article:
http://cryptome.org/nsa-hersh.htm
The Intelligence Gap
How the digital age left our spies out in the cold.
By Seymour M. Hersh
While much of it resonates as true, the timing -- just before crucial
oversight hearings and concerns about illegal NSA spying -- might be a
little coincidental:
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,32770,00.html
Last week's CNN article and televised report raised near-identical concerns
about newfound NSA eavesdropping ineffectiveness:
http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/25/nsa.woes/
>Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 08:30:51 -0500
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>From: Declan McCullagh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: FC: Wayne Madsen replies to New Yorker article on NSA
>Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>X-Url: Politech is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/
>
>*********
>
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:22:51 EST
>Subject: Re: FC: New Yorker article on how NSA surveillance is ineffective
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>:
>:
>:
>
>Declan:
>
>Never let it be said that I defend the NSA (for whom I once worked). But
>there is some truth to what General Hayden has said. There are many old line
>high-freak radio people at the Agency who can't seem to understand computer
>and network-oriented digital communications. This includes Barbara McNamara,
>an old line radio frequency type. Hayden concedes the war on encryption
>proliferation is yesterday's news. It is most likely the civilians at NSA
>that are pushing these ridiculous export controls (even the so-called
revised
>controls already leaked to the media show that these old-timers want
>extraordinary access to foreign business dealings).
>
>I never spoke for our universal disarmament on signals intelligence
>operations, but some people who never worked inside Ft Meade are hyping
stuff
>about ECHELON and other similar things. These capabilities all exist, but
the
>AREA 51 types are latching onto the Barr/Burton hearings and may do great
>harm to their legitimacy. After all, these are the first potentially
>legitimate hearings on the abuses of NSA/CIA, etc. since the Church, Pike,
>and Abzug hearings of the 70s.
>
>Sy Hersh has had extraordinary access to DIRNSA. Hayden is crying out for
>help against those who pushed for such nonsense as Clipper and other things.
>I'm not sure he is as bad as the McNamaras, David Aarons, Stew Bakers, and
>George Tenets, none of whom have any earthly idea about the difficulties in
>maintaining an intelligence capability without looking like an intrusive
>fascist-type organization.
>
>
>
>ciao,
>
>Wayne
>
