Obama can’t point to a single time the NSA call records program prevented a terrorist attack

[n2doc]

BY ANDREA PETERSON
December 23 at 9:43 am

National Security Agency defenders, including President Obama, continue to cite the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001 when defending the program that scoops up domestic call records in bulk. But asked specifically, on Friday, if he could identify a time when that program stopped a similar attack, President Obama couldn't. That's because the program hasn't prevented a second 9/11.

At the end of the year news conference, Reuters's Mark Felsenthal asked:

As you review how to rein in the National Security Agency, a federal judge says that, for example, the government has failed to cite a single instance in which analysis of the NSA's bulk metadata actually stopped an imminent attack. Are you able to identify any specific examples when it did so? Are you convinced that the collection of that data is useful to national security to continue as it is?

But President Obama never answered the question about a specific examples. Instead he spoke more broadly and tied the program, again, back to 9/11.

What I've said in the past continues to be the case, which is that the NSA, in executing this program, believed, based on experiences from 9/11, that it was important for us to be able to track, if there was a phone number of a known terrorist outside of the United States calling into the United States, where that call might have gone and that having that data in one place and retained for a certain period of time allowed them to be confident in pursuing various investigations of terrorist threats.

The president's reliance on a 9/11 narrative is expected. The terrorist attack was a defining moment for a generation and now serves as a tragic reminder of a time when the U.S. government failed to protect its citizens. It's understandable that any president would want to be seen as vigilant in preventing another such attack.

But the reason the president can't cite a specific time the phone meta-data program stopped a similar tragedy is because it hasn't.

more

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/12/23/obama-cant-point-to-a-single-time-the-nsa-call-records-program-prevented-a-terrorist-attack/

[Thinkingabout]

1. Can you think of a simple reason Obama did not answer this question? It is has to do

With security and stronger reasons why not to answer the question than to give details. Why, does a team playing a competition game does not reveal their plays to the other team.

[Blanks]

3. They were certain that Saddam Hussein had WMDs...

Because if you're defenseless you don't advertise that to your enemies.

If there are examples of times when attacks were thwarted, I'd be shocked as hell if ANY president EVER talked about it in a Q & A session.

There are some things that we aren't going to get specifics about.

[Thinkingabout]

6. You sure don't out the agents which is collecting infornation though Valerie Plame was.

You also do not reveal all details about how you determine security issues. I don't see the instruments when I am flying on commercial flights but I trust I will arrive at my destination.

[brentspeak]

9. Congrats on winning 1st and 2nd place Dumb Posts of the Day

Two laughably stupid metaphors made in two successive posts.

[Thinkingabout]

12. Grow up, learn and then speak.

[OnyxCollie]

2. It's savin' lives!

And it started because of 9/11, understand? 9/11 happened, and then we started spy, er, surveilling phone calls for your protection. Because terra.

But the important thing is: 9/11 happened, then the spying started. Get it? AFTER 9/11. AFTER 9/11.

[Thinkingabout]

7. Spying has been happening for centuries and will continue.

[unblock]

4. it prevents terrorism! and elephant stampedes as well!

when was the last time you saw an elephant stampede in america, huh? HUH?

SEE, it WORKS so THERE!

[customerserviceguy]

5. If I'm not mistaken

you could say the same thing about the TSA.

[BlueCheese]

8. I remember when Biden ridiculed the Republicans for harping on about terrorism.

He said the GOP convention speeches were nothing but a noun, a verb, and 9/11. What happened to us?

[Coyotl]

10. NSA spying is no solution to having a Bush the Moron in charge.

Now that we don't have a moron for President, maybe we can dispense with it.

If Bush had done his job properly ......

[Wilms]

11. ^

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. But, he can, and does, rely on the fear of "terrorists" to dupe the public into supporting it.

"The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience.” - Albert Camus (1913-1960)

[treestar]

14. So, maybe they haven't been planned

It's not like they occur daily.

It's not like they can all be prevented.

Or, if prevented, that it will get out.

I can see opposing it, but the idea there are no terrorist attacks ever, or that they occur so often they should show up as prevented on any time basis, is silly.

It might help sometime in some way some day. That's probably why they wanted the metadata.

Bush and Co used 911 to push their agenda. But that does not mean that some things might actually be needed to try to prevent terror attacks. We were the ones criticizing Chimpy for not stopping 911.