NSA Won't Release Number of Americans it Spied On Because it Would 'Violate Their Privacy'

[marmar]

Outrageous — Security Agency Won't Release Number of Americans it Spied On Because it Would 'Violate Their Privacy'


Last month, Democratic Senators Ron Wydon and Mark Udall asked the National Security Agency how many U.S. residents were spied on under Bush’s 2008 expansion of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allowed for warrantless eavesdropping. But on Monday, the agency told the Senators that they couldn't know how many Americans it spied on because that kind of oversight would violate people’s privacy.

Wired.com acquired Charles McCullough’s response to the two senators, who are members of the Senate’s Intelligence Oversight Committee. McCullough, Inspector General of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, wrote that the NSA “agreed that an IG review of the sort suggested would itself violate the privacy of U.S. persons.”

Wyden said that he and Udall simply wanted a “ballpark estimate” of the number.

But McCullough wrote that the agency was incapable of providing such a number, and an attempt to calculate the number would hamper intelligence missions. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/988937/outrageous_%E2%80%94_security_agency_won%27t_release_number_of_americans_it_spied_on_because_it_would_%27violate_their_privacy%27/

[clang1]

1. re: NSA Won't Release Number of Americans it Spied On Because it Would 'Violate Their Privacy'

Right. Right.. Heh nobody knows nothing.

[nashville_brook]

2. I LOVE THE ONION.

[clang1]

5. re: I LOVE THE ONION.

Heh heh. Yeah.

[Solly Mack]

3. So, we can't know how many people's privacy the government violated because that would be a

violation of those same people's privacy?

No doubt they said that with a straight face.


"... that kind of oversight would violate people’s privacy".

Not asking for names...just a number. I get the feeling that any overisght is considered out of bounds to many in government.




Wow. That fucking number must be very, very high.

[LiberalFighter]

6. It is the mantra of the CIA starting under Bush 41

[clang1]

7. re: So, we can't know how many people's privacy the government violated because that would be a

Not enough fingers I guess. Hmmmmm.. kafkaesque bullshit is what they are saying.

[Enrique]

4. now THIS is contempt of Congress n/t

[Cerridwen]

8. This post needs a theme song

For the traditionalists and slower internet connetions

&feature=related

[clang1]

9. re: This post needs a theme song

Lol I actually enjoyed that hah hah, thanks for the vids.