A New America Foundation paper released Monday argued...
A New America Foundation paper released Monday argued that government phone and email surveillance has not substantially aided officials in many terrorism cases, as intelligence officials have argued in defending the government programs. “Our review of the government’s claims about…
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the role that NSA ‘bulk’ surveillance of phone and email communications records has had in keeping the United States safe from terrorism shows that these claims are overblown and even misleading,” the 32-page New America Foundation paper said (http://bit.ly/KfyRFa). “An in-depth analysis of 225 individuals recruited by al-Qaeda or a like-minded group or inspired by al-Qaeda’s ideology, and charged in the United States with an act of terrorism since 9/11, demonstrates that traditional investigative methods, such as the use of informants, tips from local communities, and targeted intelligence operations, provided the initial impetus for investigations in the majority of cases, while the contribution of NSA’s bulk surveillance programs to these cases was minimal.” Of those cases examined, bulk phone surveillance played an “identifiable role” in, “at most, 1.8 percent of the terrorism cases,” it said. The paper’s lead author is Peter Bergen, who directs the foundation’s National Security Program. A spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence stood by the program. “As intelligence officials and congressional intelligence overseers have said, the bulk metadata program is a valuable tool for discovering potential links between terrorists abroad and those in the U.S. with whom they collaborate,” the spokesman told us in a statement when asked about the report. “But it’s important to keep the program in perspective. This is one of many programs the Intelligence Community uses to identify, track, and disrupt the activities of our adversaries, including terrorists. Neither this nor any other singular intelligence program can, by itself, ensure our national security.” The spokesman said President Barack Obama is reviewing recommendations to the bulk phone surveillance program and the intelligence community has said it’s open to “modifications to the program that maintain the capability it provides, strengthens oversight and addresses concerns about civil liberties and privacy.”