USELESS NSA?
Another terrorist bombing by someone known to authorities for years. Why?
From Wikipedia: The NSA tracks the locations of hundreds of millions of cellphones per day, allowing them to map people's movements and relationships in detail. It reportedly has access to all communications made via Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube, AOL, Skype, Apple and Paltalk, and collects hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal email and instant messaging accounts each year. It has also managed to weaken much of the encryption used on the Internet (by collaborating with, coercing or otherwise infiltrating numerous technology companies), so that the majority of Internet privacy is now vulnerable to the NSA and other attackers.
Domestically, the NSA collects and stores metadata records of phone calls. . .as well as Internet communications, relying on a secret interpretation of the Patriot Act whereby the entirety of US communications may be considered "relevant" to a terrorism investigation if it is expected that even a tiny minority may relate to terrorism.
Consider the actions of this latest terrorist. He followed Radical Islamic leaders and groups using computers. He purchased citric acid, ball bearings, and electronic igniters openly from Ebay. He traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and tried to enter Syria. His father turned him in to the FBI 2 years before the bombing.
Now if the Obama administration was competent, in a case like this the FBI, through a FISA warrant, would notify the NSA to place him on a special surveillance list. For a minimum of five years, maybe many more, all of his metadata and internet connections would be logged and data-mined. His Ebay purchases would be noted, his perusal of jihadist websites considered. Usage of less-traceable cellphones and contacts with suspected jihadists would invite sight-on surveillance. A FISA warrant might be gotten to allow interception of voice and e-mail, not just the metadata.
Yet none of this is done. Can anyone name a single plot foiled by the NSA? No. Yet we can name many plotters brought to the government's attention that were ignored. Boston, San Bernardino, Fort Hood, now New York-New Jersay.
If you are gathering and looking at everything, you are effectively gathering and looking at nothing. Is that what the NSA does? If it works in the manner of the TSA, yes. The TSA screens all passengers and fails over 90% of the tests of finding contraband. It fits the Obama administration pattern of ignoring what works for what is politically palatable to the progressive cause.
It is physically impossible for the FBI to personally surveil all potential terrorists 24/7. It would be easy for the NSA to do in-depth data-mining of all suspects and notify the FBI of those showing signs of dangerous activity.
Properly used, the NSA could be a great asset. As comprised today, it is essentially useless.
Another terrorist bombing by someone known to authorities for years. Why?
From Wikipedia: The NSA tracks the locations of hundreds of millions of cellphones per day, allowing them to map people's movements and relationships in detail. It reportedly has access to all communications made via Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube, AOL, Skype, Apple and Paltalk, and collects hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal email and instant messaging accounts each year. It has also managed to weaken much of the encryption used on the Internet (by collaborating with, coercing or otherwise infiltrating numerous technology companies), so that the majority of Internet privacy is now vulnerable to the NSA and other attackers.
Domestically, the NSA collects and stores metadata records of phone calls. . .as well as Internet communications, relying on a secret interpretation of the Patriot Act whereby the entirety of US communications may be considered "relevant" to a terrorism investigation if it is expected that even a tiny minority may relate to terrorism.
Consider the actions of this latest terrorist. He followed Radical Islamic leaders and groups using computers. He purchased citric acid, ball bearings, and electronic igniters openly from Ebay. He traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and tried to enter Syria. His father turned him in to the FBI 2 years before the bombing.
Now if the Obama administration was competent, in a case like this the FBI, through a FISA warrant, would notify the NSA to place him on a special surveillance list. For a minimum of five years, maybe many more, all of his metadata and internet connections would be logged and data-mined. His Ebay purchases would be noted, his perusal of jihadist websites considered. Usage of less-traceable cellphones and contacts with suspected jihadists would invite sight-on surveillance. A FISA warrant might be gotten to allow interception of voice and e-mail, not just the metadata.
Yet none of this is done. Can anyone name a single plot foiled by the NSA? No. Yet we can name many plotters brought to the government's attention that were ignored. Boston, San Bernardino, Fort Hood, now New York-New Jersay.
If you are gathering and looking at everything, you are effectively gathering and looking at nothing. Is that what the NSA does? If it works in the manner of the TSA, yes. The TSA screens all passengers and fails over 90% of the tests of finding contraband. It fits the Obama administration pattern of ignoring what works for what is politically palatable to the progressive cause.
It is physically impossible for the FBI to personally surveil all potential terrorists 24/7. It would be easy for the NSA to do in-depth data-mining of all suspects and notify the FBI of those showing signs of dangerous activity.
Properly used, the NSA could be a great asset. As comprised today, it is essentially useless.