Snowden... What's The Big Deal ???
U.S. weighs option to end dual leadership role at NSA, Cyber Command
By Ellen Nakashima - WaPo
Published: November 6
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The Obama administration is considering ending a controversial policy that since 2010 has placed one military official at the head of both the nations largest spy agency and its cyber-operations command, U.S. officials said.
National Security Council officials are scheduled to meet soon to discuss the issue of separating the leadership of the National Security Agency and Cyber Command, a shift that some officials say would help avoid an undue concentration of power in one individual and separate entities with two fundamentally different missions: spying and conducting military attacks.
The administration is also discussing whether the NSA should be led by a civilian.
Officials said privately that the changes could help tamp the current furor over the NSAs sweeping powers by narrowing the authorities assigned to its director. Because of heightened political sensitivities, what might ordinarily be an internal Defense Department policy matter is now being coordinated by the White House, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The White House sees an opportunity to address the issue with the NSAs director, Gen. Keith Alexander, due to retire in March. Alexander has led the NSA since 2005 and Cyber Command since its full launch in 2010. He was nominated by President Obama in 2009 to head the command, which defends Pentagon networks and, when directed, attacks adversaries computers.
Administration officials say...
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More:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-weighs-proposal-to-end-dual-leadership-role-at-nsa-cyber-command/2013/11/06/e64a23d8-4701-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html