LOL Dave S.
On 5/17/06, Bob Shell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
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."
