The head of the National Security Agency said Wednesday that his agency’s extensive electronic surveillance programs have played a critical role in thwarting “dozens” of terrorist attacks aimed at U.S. targets and abroad.Gen. Keith Alexander, in making the assertion, cited the two intelligence collection programs that have been the focus of public scrutiny in recent days, one that allows the government to collect the call records of millions of Americans from U.S. telecommunications companies and another that collects Internet records.In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee, he cited in particular the cases of Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan American who pleaded guilty to planning suicide attacks in New York, and Pakistani American David Headley, who conducted surveillance in support of the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, which killed more than 160 people. In both instances, he said, the Internet data-mining program helped unravel the plots.
i think they should have come out with this evidence in favor of the program as soon as the right started to attack. i think when they do it like this it gives to much time for the negativity the right wing attaches to sink in and define the action.
The Obama administration had defended its extensive collection of telephone and Internet records amid a political furor over the surveillance that has consumed Washington for the past week. It follows disclosures in the The Washington Post and the Guardian newspaper.President Obama last week said he would welcome a public debate over the surveillance, saying Americans will have to sacrifice some privacy for the sake of security. Alexander vowed to quickly make public records that show the success of the phone program in preventing attacks.
Americans need to look at this disclosure as they have the right wing jumping of the gun and fear mongering, decide for yourself don't let the decision be made by the time it reaches your ears, that would not be your opinion but another's.
