Thursday, October 24, 2013

Did The NSA Thwart 54 Terrorist Attacks?


Claim On “Attacks Thwarted” By NSA Spreads Despite Lack Of Evidence -- ProPublica

During Keith Alexander’s presentation in Las Vegas, two slides read simply “54 ATTACKS THWARTED.” The NSA, President Obama, and members of Congress have all said NSA spying programs have thwarted more than 50 terrorist plots. But there’s no evidence the claim is true.

Two weeks after Edward Snowden’s first revelations about sweeping government surveillance, President Obama shot back. “We know of at least 50 threats that have been averted because of this information not just in the United States, but, in some cases, threats here in Germany,” Obama said during a visit to Berlin in June. “So lives have been saved.”

In the months since, intelligence officials, media outlets, and members of Congress from both parties all repeated versions of the claim that NSA surveillance has stopped more than 50 terrorist attacks. The figure has become a key talking point in the debate around the spying programs.

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Update: NSA lies? Agency lacks evidence it thwarted 54 terrorist attacks -- RT

My Comment: Why am I not surprise that the NSA is not providing evidence for their claims.

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