Anyone catch the latest acknowledgement about the NSA listening to US calls?

[C4IGrant]

They thought they were listening to Egypt based calls to the US, but turned out that they were within US to US???

This is my shocked face :rolleyes:


When a call comes into a collection system, the ONLY WAY for the intel guy to figure out if it is something they are targeting is TO LISTEN TO IT. ;)



C4

[Safetyhit]

Without a link I refuse to believe it. Sounds like something out of Orwell and only in some sort of nightmare could this country have become so hostile to it's own citizens without fear of reprisal.

[MountainRaven]

I am shocked - utterly shocked, I tell you - to hear that the NSA has inadvertently run ~2500 search-things on American citizens and foreign nationals in the United States since 2008.

(Just as I'm sure everyone was shocked to learn the CIA was dealing cocaine in the 60s and 70s.)

The best part is that the NSA says that we should just trust them with it.

[No.6]

Why bring this up now? I'm too busy watching sports and keeping up on the latest gossip on celebrity skanks to pay attention to what's going on.

[thopkins22]

Football season is here, it's a great time to disclose all sorts of things that will be forgotten as soon as the next weekend rolls around.

[Safetyhit]

I just posted the ABC link about the Washington Post in the other thread, then also found this from another notoriously liberal outlet:


http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114335/new-snowden-docs-show-we-dont-even-know-what-we-dont-know

[signal4l]

I wonder if any of Mitt Romney's phone calls were "accidentally" intercepted. I wonder if this "accident" took place in 2012

[Moose-Knuckle]

I'm too busy watching sports and keeping up on the latest gossip on celebrity skanks to pay attention to what's going on.



Football season is here, it's a great time to disclose all sorts of things that will be forgotten as soon as the next weekend rolls around.

I find that a nice tall glass of Flouride ridden Kool-Aid helps wash down the bread and circuses. :ph34r:

[montanadave]

Here's a quote from General Keith Alexander, Director, National Security Agency excerpted from a keynote address he delivered at a conference on July 31, 2013 (http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/speeches_testimonies/Transcript_of_GEN_Alexanders_Black_Hat_Speech_31_July_2013.pdf):

"I think it’s important to understand the strict oversight that goes into these programs because the assumption is that people are out there just wheeling and dealing, and nothing could be further from the truth. We have tremendous oversight and compliance in these programs, auditability. And for many of you with the technical background – (inaudible) – net flow and other things like that, you know that we can audit the actions of our people a hundred percent in this case. And we do that."

All together now. BULLSHIT!

If it weren't for that "traitor" Edward Snowden, we still wouldn't know WTF was going on. And, apparently, neither would the folks in the FISA puppet court and Congress who are supposedly engaged in all of this strict oversight.

And General Wheeler continues:

"So the same level of control is given to the FAA 702. In fact, this is the one that at times people say, they are listening to all our communications. That is not authorized under this. But the issue would be, for me standing me up here, many are going to say, well, I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t trust them. Congress did a review of this program over a four-year period, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. And over that four-year period, they found no willful or knowledgeable violations of the law or the intent of the law in this program.

More specifically, they found no one at NSA had ever gone outside the boundaries of what we’ve been given. That’s the fact. What you’re hearing, what you’re seeing, what people are saying is, well, they could. The fact is they don’t. And if they did, our auditing tools would detect them, and they would be held accountable.

The nation needs to know we’re going to do the right thing. We comply with the court orders and do this exactly right, and if we make a mistake, we hold ourselves accountable and report it to everyone."

Oops! Guess they forgot to report a couple of things. Three thousand things, actually. Give or take. And apparently all that oversight missed some 3000+ violations and all those internal auditing mechanisms and pervasive culture of accountability DIDN'T DO SHIT!

[jpmuscle]

But hey nobody got hurt right? So no harm no foul?
:rolleyes:

[Gutshot John]

A very interesting article from the Atlantic that suggests a new Church Committee.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/lawbreaking-at-the-nsa-bring-on-a-new-church-committee/278750/

The suggestion is that it be headed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). I might disagree with almost all of his politics, but he's probably the last truly honest man in the Senate.

[TAZ]

A very interesting article from the Atlantic that suggests a new Church Committee.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/lawbreaking-at-the-nsa-bring-on-a-new-church-committee/278750/

The suggestion is that it be headed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). I might disagree with almost all of his politics, but he's probably the last truly honest man in the Senate.

There is no such thing as an honest politician. The idea that we can truly trust these people is what gets us into trouble.

[montanadave]

A very interesting article from the Atlantic that suggests a new Church Committee.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/08/lawbreaking-at-the-nsa-bring-on-a-new-church-committee/278750/

The suggestion is that it be headed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR). I might disagree with almost all of his politics, but he's probably the last truly honest man in the Senate.

As noted in the article cited above, the Washington Post obtained copies of the NSA's internal audit documenting surveillance abuses prior to Sen. Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Diane Feinstein! Who has stated repeatedly she is engaged in rigorous and diligent oversight of these intelligence gathering activities and that abuses are not taking place.

Everybody feel better knowing Diane Feinstein is safeguarding their privacy against unwarranted intrusion by the state security apparatus?

And the leader of the judicial branch of our government tasked with policing the activities of the state security apparatus, the FISA court, admits they can't do the job. From the article:

"The leader of the secret court that is supposed to provide critical oversight of the government's vast spying programs said that its ability do so is limited and that it must trust the government to report when it improperly spies on Americans.

The chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court [FISA] said the court lacks the tools to independently verify how often the government's surveillance breaks the court's rules that aim to protect Americans' privacy. Without taking drastic steps, it also cannot check the veracity of the government's assertions that the violations its staff members report are unintentional mistakes."

Well, shit, sounds like the FISA court is doing a bang-up job, too.

Meanwhile President Obama tells us not to worry, his administration is going to engage in an extensive review of these surveillance programs and their protocols led by . . . wait for it, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence that just got done perjuring himself before Congress while testifying about the same surveillance programs he's going to reform!

I don't know about the rest of ya, but I feel better already.

These agencies are amassing a database of personal information on every man, woman, and child in the United States that is going to make J. Edgar Hoover's secret files look like puppy shit. And maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday soon the wrong guy (or gal) is going to use this data to destroy whatever semblance of personal freedom still exists in this country. They're going to have a private Room 101 for every last one of us.

This shit has to stop. Unfortunately, I fear it may already be too late to stuff this genie back in the bottle.

[Kain]

While I don't think I am the only one thinking this, I haven't heard it voiced so here it goes. Every time I hear one of these jokers going on about oversight and how they are checking for, enforcing it, or something else involving it, or increasing oversight I just keep getting this nagging itch that it is code for "We are destroying all evidence that we were involved." If these ****ers weren't in the government they would have been throw in general pop to be shanked by now.

[Gutshot John]

There is no such thing as an honest politician. The idea that we can truly trust these people is what gets us into trouble.

I've been saying that for months about Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, but you apparently walked ten miles out of your way to miss the point.

It's probably not worth explaining to you.

Did you even bother to read the article?

[Moose-Knuckle]

A very interesting article from the Atlantic that suggests a new Church Committee.


We could use a new United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities . . .

[Belloc]

What We Lose if We Give Up Privacy
A civil libertarian reflects on the dangers of the surveillance state.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323639704579015101857760922.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion

[TAZ]

I've been saying that for months about Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, but you apparently walked ten miles out of your way to miss the point.

It's probably not worth explaining to you.

Did you even bother to read the article?

Yes, I read the linked article and ill stand by my statement. I don't trust politicians. Never have and never will. That goes quadruple for career politicians. Not quite sure what needs explaining.

[Belmont31R]

All this bs about safeguards, accountability, courts, ect isn't going to stop jack shit. They'll do it anyways, and just lie through their teeth the entire time.

[jpmuscle]

All this bs about safeguards, accountability, courts, ect isn't going to stop jack shit. They'll do it anyways, and just lie through their teeth the entire time.

It humors me to no end that after something bad happens they always come out and say jeez dam we're sorry and this is what we're going to do to make sure we don't do it again. Really, really? Can't really get much more disingenuous than that... like nobody had the foresight to say hey wait a minute maybe this is a bad idea...


Sigh.... I'll stop rambling now...

[Mauser KAR98K]

So, does this mean when the Federal Governemt decides to round up firearms for whatever reason, not only do they know what you have, and what uppers and possibly how much ammo, but can we consider themselves warned?

[czydj]

All we have to do is be sure to use the buzz words / catch phrases on every call we are on. We will overload the analysts with mile-high-piles of BS...

[FlyAndFight]

What We Lose if We Give Up Privacy
A civil libertarian reflects on the dangers of the surveillance state.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323639704579015101857760922.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion

Good article. Thanks for sharing.

[jpmuscle]

So, does this mean when the Federal Governemt decides to round up firearms for whatever reason, not only do they know what you have, and what uppers and possibly how much ammo, but can we consider themselves warned?

Informed consent is already spelled out in the Constitution as far as Im concerned.

[Gutshot John]

Yes, I read the linked article and ill stand by my statement. I don't trust politicians. Never have and never will. That goes quadruple for career politicians. Not quite sure what needs explaining.

I'm not quite sure why you think I care?

[Mauser KAR98K]

Meanwhile, one of the reporters who helped with the Snowden story at the Guardian was detained under the U.K.'s Terrorism Act was detained for 9 HOURS, and had his stuff confiscated before given back.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/19/david-miranda-detention-schedule7-editorial

And the White House had prior notice to the Heathrow detention.

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/08/19/white-house-had-advance-notice-on-heathrow-detention/?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

This is becoming one of those Government conspiracy creepy movies now.

[Iraqgunz]

People like to think that the feds are competent enough to begin such an endeavor, but I disagree and so do many others.

The Dorner case should be a learning lesson. Hell, we can't even secure the borders of our country. Once a core group of the people decide it's showtime the feds will be overwhelmed and it will stop faster than it started.


So, does this mean when the Federal Governemt decides to round up firearms for whatever reason, not only do they know what you have, and what uppers and possibly how much ammo, but can we consider themselves warned?

[platoonDaddy]

Everyday more shit keeps rolling out, men this is tyranny!
I watched the hearings with NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander and he never acknowledged how broad the program was, even denying it was broad. Another officer who should be forced to retire, for not telling the full truth to congress.

Today it is 75%, next week it will be 100%.



NSA surveillance reach broader than publicly acknowledged

The National Security Agency's surveillance network has the capacity to spy on 75 percent of all U.S. Internet traffic, The Wall Street Journal reports.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/08/21/nsa-surveillance-reach-broader-than-publicly-acknowledged/

[Doc Safari]

People like to think that the feds are competent enough to begin such an endeavor, but I disagree and so do many others.

The Dorner case should be a learning lesson. Hell, we can't even secure the borders of our country. Once a core group of the people decide it's showtime the feds will be overwhelmed and it will stop faster than it started.

Interesting theory. Sometime when you have nothing to do I'd love to see you do a whole thread on this with your complete theory. :D

[jpmuscle]

So the question then becomes when is the next M4C muster? :D

[platoonDaddy]

Look at it this way, they are they only part of the Gov who is listening. Wait and they aren't even elected, by the people



http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad176/slickville/NSAPeeping_zpsd06c6e14.jpg (http://s933.photobucket.com/user/slickville/media/NSAPeeping_zpsd06c6e14.jpg.html)

[No.6]

Look at it this way, they are they only part of the Gov who is listening. Wait and they aren't even elected, by the people



http://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad176/slickville/NSAPeeping_zpsd06c6e14.jpg (http://s933.photobucket.com/user/slickville/media/NSAPeeping_zpsd06c6e14.jpg.html)



That image is funny! Thanks for posting it!