NSA Phone Records Surveillance Has Thwarted Terrorism, 'But That's Classified'

[Crabtownboy]

Seems to me there are a lot of false conservatives on the BB. Seems they want to deny others of many things that I will not go into here, but scream if they think anything will bother them in any way. The flap over NSA taping phone and other records is an example. You who are so righteous in your indignation are too soft on terrorists. I say life as difficult for them as possible. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!

Senate Intelligence Chair Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Thursday the National Security Agency program collecting domestic phone records has prevented terrorism. But she and other senators briefed on the program refused to delve into details about how it is used.

Feinstein spoke to reporters after the Intelligence Committee held a "highly classified" briefing on the vast NSA program, which Feinstein said had been put together "quickly" after The Guardian's report on its existence.

Asked whether the program had thwarted any attacks, Feinstein said, "It has, but that's classified." She added that "there is a report" about how the program has been used, but didn't elaborate.

Senior officials from the NSA, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Justice were all present to explain the surveillance program to 27 senators.

"Members who briefed made comments they were astonished. They didn't know this was happening," Feinstein said.

Feinstein and other senators, however, refused to go into details about what the NSA does with phone records after it has collected them. NBC News reported Thursday that the program extends to every phone call in the country, not just those made through Verizon.

Feinstein said she would not discuss concerns that her fellow senators may have raised during the meeting, because "this took place in a classified briefing, and we don't talk about the substance of it."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/06/dianne-feinstein-nsa_n_3399667.html

 

[InTheLight]

The bothersome thing about collecting indiscriminate phone records is that it appears the NSA and Homeland Security do not have a clue as to who the terrorists are and where they are. They are putting out the widest net possible because they truly do not know where to look.

Furthermore, it has been established that sophisticated terrorists typically do not use phones because they know they are monitored. They prefer to use anonymous internet chat rooms, bulletin boards, and yes, forums.

So I'm inclined to believe that the gathering of phone records has more than one purpose.

 

[exscentric]

"Seems to me there are a lot of false conservatives on the BB. Seems they want to deny others of many things that I will not go into here,"

Kind of like sneaking up on someone and hitting them in the head with a baseball bat and running like mad. Typical comes to mind :thumbs:

One attack was thwarted, if we can believe anything the administration says right now. Millions of bucks spent doing the snooping into EVERYONE to catch a couple - and on the data storage center - humm let's see, why would they want to store all this data? With IRS and their targeting fresh in our minds maybe to punish or coherence at some time future when they don't want someone to do something? Seems a logical answer.

 

[church mouse guy]

Seems to me there are a lot of false conservatives on the BB. Seems they want to deny others of many things that I will not go into here, but scream if they think anything will bother them in any way. The flap over NSA taping phone and other records is an example. You who are so righteous in your indignation are too soft on terrorists. I say life as difficult for them as possible. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear!

Hi, CTB! You know that the Feds have noted that you used the computer on a certain time and day to post here, right? A lot of little kids have cellphones and high school students use cells to text each other the way that we used to write notes so that is all stored in NSA, too. I was a little surprised that all the cell records are in DC and I am not re-assured by Di Fi. The surprise was what Obama promised in 2007--and even Al Gore did not like what Obama has done.

Here is what Obama said in 2007, which is what caused the surprise:

Bush “puts forward a false choice between the liberties we cherish and the security we demand. I will provide our intelligence and law-enforcement agencies with the tools they need to track and take out the terrorists without undermining our Constitution and our freedom,” Obama said in an Aug. 1, 2007 speech in Washington. “We will again set an example for the world that the law is not subject to the whims of stubborn rulers, and that justice is not arbitrary,” Obama added. “This administration acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our security. It is not. There are no short-cuts to protecting America.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...nce-defies-campaign-civil-liberty-pledge.html

Now people at NSA can blackmail politicians for their phone calls by doing a little bit of independent digging on their own. Credit card transactions are also going directly to the Feds. Everything that goes through the telephone system is going to the government. Some of the confusion is that Obama has said that we are not in a war against terror and then justifies this White House extension of the Patriot Act as part of the war against terror.

 

[Crabtownboy]

"Seems to me there are a lot of false conservatives on the BB. Seems they want to deny others of many things that I will not go into here,"

Kind of like sneaking up on someone and hitting them in the head with a baseball bat and running like mad. Typical comes to mind :thumbs:

One attack was thwarted, if we can believe anything the administration says right now. Millions of bucks spent doing the snooping into EVERYONE to catch a couple - and on the data storage center - humm let's see, why would they want to store all this data? With IRS and their targeting fresh in our minds maybe to punish or coherence at some time future when they don't want someone to do something? Seems a logical answer.

I am sure there have been more than one thawed. But being classified information we may not know how many for a long time. In your opinion how many lives had to be saved to make the effort a good return on investment?

 

[church mouse guy]

Perhaps Al Gore is a false conservative because he tweeted this about NSA:

"In digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?"

(Al Gore invented the internet but he named it after Bush--dubya dubya dubya)

 

[Crabtownboy]

Perhaps Al Gore is a false conservative because he tweeted this about NSA:

"In digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?"

(Al Gore invented the internet but he named it after Bush--dubya dubya dubya)

Face it. You live in a digital world. It is not just our government who is tracking telephones, e-mails, etc. Do you really believe that Israel, China and Russia as well as other governments are not doing the same? Let's just hope we are the best on the block at this and are successful in preventing another 9/11. There is no privacy now and there never will be again. Stores track what you buy. Agencies track what you watch on TV. The list of who is tracking you and what they are tracking goes on and on and on. How do you think credit ratings come about? For most the company they work for are tracked by company owned software. Cookies are put on your computer to track you. Sure you can erase them, but they will be back as soon as you go to the same web site again. You probably are tracked when you carry your cell phone with you. London, using the recordings of street cams was able to piece together and determine the bomber several years ago. Put together they tracked him for blocks and blocks. There are thousands of cams all over the place now ... you are tracked by them. Airports have cams that photograph every passenger and these are run images are checked by face recognition software ... they are tracking you. The list can go on and on and on and on....................


You can live in delusion, but that will not change the fact that many know more about you and your habits than you do.

Face it, there is no personal security these days. Companies, research tanks, governments, search engines, etc. are all tracking you.

 

[church mouse guy]

Well, you attacked "false conservatives" so I showed you that ultra-leftist Al Gore had the same point of view, to which you did not reply. I showed you what Obama said when he was running against Bush, to which you did not reply. And I showed you that there is evidence that this was done by Obama without legal authority from the Patriot Act, to which you did not reply.

 

[just-want-peace]

Well, you attacked "false conservatives" so I showed you that ultra-leftist Al Gore had the same point of view, to which you did not reply. I showed you what Obama said when he was running against Bush, to which you did not reply. And I showed you that there is evidence that this was done by Obama without legal authority from the Patriot Act, to which you did not reply.

You say this as if you are surprised; surely not!!!:laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[Crabtownboy]

Well, you attacked "false conservatives" so I showed you that ultra-leftist Al Gore had the same point of view, to which you did not reply. I showed you what Obama said when he was running against Bush, to which you did not reply. And I showed you that there is evidence that this was done by Obama without legal authority from the Patriot Act, to which you did not reply.

I really do not care what Gore said and as for what Obama said that is old history. What they said is not the topic on this thread.

The real point is there is no reason to get bent out of shape over the NSA and their legal program. There is no personal privacy! The days of personal privacy are gone ... never to return. The program was with a top secret from a court. I wonder who leaked top secret information and if anything will be done about that?

Like I said, you can coddle terrorists if you want, but I believe in making their life as difficult as possible.

Tracking begins at birth and continues to death ... maybe even longer for all I know.

 

[Revmitchell]

The bigger problem is this administration. They have prove incapable of making sure there are no abuses. In fact based on clear and recent evidence it is highly likely this will be abused for political purposes.

 

[Crabtownboy]

The bigger problem is this administration. They have prove incapable of making sure there are no abuses. In fact based on clear and recent evidence it is highly likely this will be abused for political purposes.

Define abuse.

 

[Revmitchell]

Define abuse.

Well see..it all depends on what is.............................................is.

Goodness gracious.

 

[exscentric]

"In your opinion how many lives had to be saved to make the effort a good return on investment?"

What a dumb question! Typical comes to mind. :BangHead:

This isn't an investment and there is no return, it is an invasion of an out of control government into our lives.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Well see..it all depends on what is.............................................is.

Goodness gracious.

Figured you had not determined what the word means. Typical nonsense reply ... that I have come to expect.

Why do you want to coddle terrorists?

 

[Crabtownboy]

"In your opinion how many lives had to be saved to make the effort a good return on investment?"

What a dumb question! Typical comes to mind. :BangHead:

This isn't an investment and there is no return, it is an invasion of an out of control government into our lives.

Do you mind that companies, research institutes, search engines, foreign governments, etc. are tracking you? From birth to death everyone is being tracked by many groups. There is no personal privacy in our world.

 

[Revmitchell]

Figured you had not determined what the word means. Typical nonsense reply ... that I have come to expect.

Why do you want to coddle terrorists?

Here we go again. It's time you got a hold on your emotions once more.

 

[poncho]

The bothersome thing about collecting indiscriminate phone records is that it appears the NSA and Homeland Security do not have a clue as to who the terrorists are and where they are. They are putting out the widest net possible because they truly do not know where to look.

Furthermore, it has been established that sophisticated terrorists typically do not use phones because they know they are monitored. They prefer to use anonymous internet chat rooms, bulletin boards, and yes, forums.

So I'm inclined to believe that the gathering of phone records has more than one purpose.

Seems like every time we hear about some terror plot or act the "authorities" were either watching the "terrorists" for a long period of time or were running the plot with paid informants.

Most of the terrorist acts we've seen or heard about since 9/11 were run by paid informants working for the FBI. Wish the government were as interested in keeping us safe from the FBI and their terror plots. Is that classified? It's been in all the papers.

 

[Crabtownboy]

Here we go again. It's time you got a hold on your emotions once more.

Emotional? Not me. You really do not know me. It is extremely difficult to raise my emotions. I learned to control them long ago ... probably before you were born.

Now it would be nice if you would discuss rationally.

Why do you want to protect terrorists and make it easy for them to communicate and plan acts of terror. Very liberal of you.

I am finding that on some issues I am much more conservative than you. That is quite interesting.

 

[poncho]

Emotional? Not me. You really do not know me. It is extremely difficult to raise my emotions. I learned to control them long ago ... probably before you were born.

Now it would be nice if you would discuss rationally.

Why do you want to protect terrorists and make it easy for them to communicate and plan acts of terror. Very liberal of you.

I am finding that on some issues I am much more conservative than you. That is quite interesting.

Obama is giving islamic extremists money and weapons. Why do you want to make it easier for him to do that? We the people aren't the one's that need to be watched by the government the government needs to be watched by we the people. That's an old school liberal idea btw. Well, it used to be before liberals got sucked into worshiping the government.