If one of my employees came up with a boneheaded answer like that I'd thump him. And this from Stephen Hadley? Sheesh! I suppose the huge increase in gift-wrapping at Christmas is a plot to make the search for bomb laden packages more difficult? Ah yes, paranoia reigns supreme............ ;-(
Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Bob Shell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 2:08 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Zone Alarm (Now OT) > > > > On May 16, 2006, at 3:01 PM, Tom C wrote: > > > I just don't see how collecting data on 'all the phone calls in the > > United States' and 'analyzing them for patterns' will help fight > > terrorism. That data base would contain a preponderance of > > useless, irrelevant data. > > > > > > Tom C. > > > This from last weekend should clarify: > > > The National Security Agency reported a sharp increase in long > > distance telephone usage yesterday, causing high-ranking > > intelligence officers in the Bush administration to fear that al- > > Qaeda might be planning a terror plot to coincide with Mother's Day. > > > > Beginning Sunday morning and continuing throughout the day, > > Americans' long distance usage surged well beyond normal levels, > > sparking concerns that a terrorist event was either being planned > > or moving into an operational phase. > > > > At the White House, national security adviser Stephen Hadley said > > that the troubling increase in chatter was "the strongest argument > > possible" for the Bush administration's policy of eavesdropping on > > millions of Americans. > > > > "If we were not listening in on everyone's conversations, when > > there is a sudden increase in phone usage such as we have seen > > today we would totally miss it," Mr. Hadley said. > > > > In addition to what he called "frighteningly normal-sounding phone > > calls to terrorists posing as mothers," Mr. Hadley reported that al > > Qaeda members or affiliates placed thousands of phone calls to > > florists in order to mask their terror plot. > > > > When asked by a reporter why no terrorist event ultimately occurred > > on Sunday, Mr. Hadley replied, "I chalk that up to the success of > > our eavesdropping program." > > > > In response to another reporter who asked if the increase in long > > distance usage could have been due to Mother's Day itself, the > > security adviser said, "That's exactly what the terrorists want us > > to think." >
