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Segami

(14,923 posts)
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 01:33 AM Oct 2013

'WE'RE REALLY SCREWED NOW': NSA's Best Friend Just SHIVVED The Spies





One of the National Security Agency's biggest defenders in Congress is suddenly at odds with the agency and calling for a top-to-bottom review of U.S. spy programs. And her long-time friends and allies are completely mystified by the switch. "We're really screwed now," one NSA official told The Cable. "You know things are bad when the few friends you've got disappear without a trace in the dead of night and leave no forwarding address." In a pointed statement issued today, Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Dianne Feinstein said she was "totally opposed" to gathering intelligence on foreign leaders and said it was "a big problem" if President Obama didn't know the NSA was monitoring the phone calls of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She said the United States should only be spying on foreign leaders with hostile countries, or in an emergency, and even then the president should personally approve the surveillance. It was not clear what precipitated Feinstein's condemnation of the NSA. It marks a significant reversal for a lawmaker who not only defended agency surveillance programs -- but is about to introduce a bill expected to protect some of its most controversial activities.



Perhaps most significant is her announcement that the intelligence committee "will initiate a review into all intelligence collection programs." Feinstein did not say the review would be limited only to the NSA. If the review also touched on other intelligence agencies under the committee's jurisdiction, it could be one of the most far-reaching reviews in recent memory, encompassing secret programs of the CIA, the Defense Intelligence Agency, agencies that run imagery and spy satellites, as well as components of the FBI. A former intelligence agency liaison to Congress said Feinstein's sudden outrage over spying on foreign leaders raised questions about how well informed she was about NSA programs and whether she'd been fully briefed by her staff. "The first question I'd ask is, what have you been doing for oversight? Second, if you've been reviewing this all along what has changed your mind?" The former official said the intelligence committees receive lengthy and detailed descriptions every year about all NSA programs, including surveillance. "They're not small books. They're about the size of those old family photo albums that were several inches thick. They're hundreds of pages long." A senior congressional aide said, "It's an absolute joke to think she hasn't been reading the signals intelligence intercepts as Chairman of Senate Intelligence for years."



The former official added that the "bottom line question is where was the Senate Intelligence Committee when it came to their oversight of these programs? And what were they being told by the NSA, because if they didn't know about this surveillance, that would imply they were being lied to." A spokesperson for Feinstein did not respond to a request for more details in time for publication. And a spokesperson for Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the intelligence committee's vice chairman, said the senator had no comment at this time. In a tacit acknowledgement of how supportive Feinstein has been of the administration's surveillance practices, the White House issued a lengthy statement about her Monday remarks.



"..We consult regularly with Chairman Feinstein as a part of our ongoing engagement with the Congress on national security matters," said National Security Council spokesperson Caitlin Hayden. "We appreciate her continued leadership on these issues as Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. I'm not going to go into the details of those private discussions, nor am I going to comment on assertions made in the Senator's statement today about U.S. foreign intelligence activities..."




cont'


http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/10/28/were_really_screwed_now_nsas_best_friend_just_shivved_the_spies
41 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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'WE'RE REALLY SCREWED NOW': NSA's Best Friend Just SHIVVED The Spies (Original Post) Segami Oct 2013 OP
Constituents with huge money and power can determine .. MindMover Oct 2013 #1
What are you saying? nt Hutzpa Oct 2013 #2
Google Russ Tice and Obama nadinbrzezinski Oct 2013 #3
I do not believe I minced my words ... MindMover Oct 2013 #4
Well I was hoping for clarification from you Hutzpa Oct 2013 #5
I did not say bribe ... nor did I say big money ... MindMover Oct 2013 #7
Quit being obtuse & mysterious, chief. Please explain with relevant information. NBachers Oct 2013 #9
It doesn't seem all that mysterious to me starroute Oct 2013 #30
There always has to be an invisible it seems doesn't it? Puzzledtraveller Oct 2013 #28
Yep, it definitely was a gender bias decision ... not MindMover Oct 2013 #40
I was not implying that Puzzledtraveller Oct 2013 #41
She was for it before she was against it RobertEarl Oct 2013 #6
Hey, where are all the spying supporters now? RobertEarl Oct 2013 #8
NSA=old news. The Best and Brightist have been transferred to the TPP desk solarhydrocan Oct 2013 #10
Oh, for heaven's SAAAAAAAAAKe... sibelian Oct 2013 #11
My theory as to why Obama was not told earlier about the surveillance of people like JDPriestly Oct 2013 #12
Except a few things Ichingcarpenter Oct 2013 #13
Exactly, Ichingcarpenter. Th1onein Oct 2013 #14
One of leaders the NSA must of spied on Ichingcarpenter Oct 2013 #16
The President's daily briefing includes what the security establishment thinks he should know about FarCenter Oct 2013 #20
Inexcusable pandering for the NSA viewpoint. Ichingcarpenter Oct 2013 #21
Just explaining how things actually work. FarCenter Oct 2013 #23
^^^^This^^^^ Autumn Oct 2013 #32
Thats easy. Follow the money. Carlyle group effectively owns NSA. Katashi_itto Oct 2013 #33
The NSA is lying to the intelligence committees rusty fender Oct 2013 #15
WAIT! WHUT!!! THEY WERE TAPPING *MY* PHONE!!!!!! HOW FUCKING DARE THEY!!!!1!!1111! Fumesucker Oct 2013 #17
Either that, or this is an attempt at damage control hootinholler Oct 2013 #27
I plead guilty to the charge of insufficient cynicism with regeards to DiFi Fumesucker Oct 2013 #29
me reading this OP: "Please don't be satire, please don't be satire, please don't be satire..." eShirl Oct 2013 #18
Maybe she found out that she or someone with great influence over her tblue37 Oct 2013 #19
Edward Snowden, hero. Thank You , Edward... Agony Oct 2013 #22
Well golly gee willikers... 99Forever Oct 2013 #24
+1 TheKentuckian Oct 2013 #25
When it comes to DiFi, dgibby Oct 2013 #26
K & R !!! WillyT Oct 2013 #31
So is there any apology from the folks who slagged Feinstein nonstop? Blue_Tires Oct 2013 #34
Will she send a thank-you letter to Snowden for letting her know what she's supposed to know? Tierra_y_Libertad Oct 2013 #35
She very cleverly inoculated her committee from harm, at least on a surface level. MADem Oct 2013 #36
Was Netanyahu on the list of 35 world leaders? FarCenter Oct 2013 #37
Perhaps it was revealed to her that both She and her Husband KoKo Oct 2013 #38
I think what happened is that they funneled J. Edgar Hoover's brainwaves into the NSA computers. Baitball Blogger Oct 2013 #39

MindMover

(5,016 posts)
1. Constituents with huge money and power can determine ..
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 01:38 AM
Oct 2013

political positions with a phone call ... and Ms. Feinstein is not immune ...

Hutzpa

(11,461 posts)
5. Well I was hoping for clarification from you
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 01:58 AM
Oct 2013

as I did not want to misconstrue your comment.

Are you suggesting big money will bribe Diane just so she can change her position?

MindMover

(5,016 posts)
7. I did not say bribe ... nor did I say big money ...
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 02:06 AM
Oct 2013

I said...

Constituents with huge money and power can determine ..
political positions with a phone call ... and Ms. Feinstein is not immune ...

Our reality in this world is that money is power and power is in the money ...

If you disagree, please submit your thoughts ...

starroute

(12,977 posts)
30. It doesn't seem all that mysterious to me
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 10:27 AM
Oct 2013

Feinstein is a senator from California. The tech companies that are a mainstay of California's economy are already taking a serious hit as people in other countries decide that they can no longer trust their data to any firm based in the US. So she's gotten the message loud and clear that she has to do whatever it take to get the NSA off their backs.

There. That's not so complicated -- or so woo-woo -- as you thought. Is it?

Puzzledtraveller

(5,937 posts)
28. There always has to be an invisible it seems doesn't it?
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 08:39 AM
Oct 2013

While I admit to being cynical a majority of the time I have no reason to suspect her strings are being pulled. She seemed to turn when the revelation of spying on Merkel broke in the news.

Puzzledtraveller

(5,937 posts)
41. I was not implying that
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 02:32 PM
Oct 2013

only that when the news about Merkel broke, being a head of state that was spied on is when I think she became really interested into the NSA maybe going to far. That heads of state were being spied on, not that Merkel is a woman.

 

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts)
6. She was for it before she was against it
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 02:06 AM
Oct 2013

She needs to take a long vacation. We, the people, do not need someone like this in oversight of the spy department. We need someone who respects our freedoms and will work to protect those freedoms.

 

RobertEarl

(13,685 posts)
8. Hey, where are all the spying supporters now?
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 02:47 AM
Oct 2013

After all the crap they spewed about the spying for the past months, after all the bad mouthing of Snowden and Greenwald, the head of intelligence in congress has just exposed them all to be, well, idiots.

Think they'll come back and beg for forgiveness?

solarhydrocan

(551 posts)
10. NSA=old news. The Best and Brightist have been transferred to the TPP desk
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 03:10 AM
Oct 2013

The TPP Train is coming down the tracks fast. Talking points desperately needed. Overtime involved. Creativity: mandatory. (there's that word!)

sibelian

(7,804 posts)
11. Oh, for heaven's SAAAAAAAAAKe...
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 03:36 AM
Oct 2013

It's suchanincrediblenonISSSSSUUUUUEEE you make such a big deal out of stuff, etc.

JDPriestly

(57,936 posts)
12. My theory as to why Obama was not told earlier about the surveillance of people like
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 03:51 AM
Oct 2013

Angela Merkel (assuming that is true):

Because our intelligence folks did not find anything interesting or useful or relevant enough in the surveillance records of Angela Merkel's phone to include in an intelligence brief.

I cannot imagine much of anything they could learn from listening in on Angela Merkel's private handy (cell phone) that they couldn't easily learn from other, better sources. It was stupid to listen to her phone in the first place.

Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
13. Except a few things
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 04:40 AM
Oct 2013

The NSA didn't reveal it spied on the leaders of our allies to the president and chose to hide this program to Obama..... because they didn't get anything? This implies that they and they alone consider what is or what is not important... not the president nor the Congress

If the president didn't know until this summer it means it was A SECRET CONSPIRACY TO HIDE IT FOR MANY YEARS.. Read that again.. it was a hidden conspiracy by the NSA.
IF He was briefed in 2009 and did nothing .... I doubt that happened.

Feinstein now is shocked by the NSA spying on leaders after all her briefings over the years even before Obama came to power and she never knew... So much for congressional oversight, or was she lying too or had NSA problems which caused her not to reveal it. Either way it is not a good sign and a CONSPIRACY.

Now we must ask....... What else does the NSA and CIA hide? They both use each other when they can.

Who is really in charge of the NSA?




Ichingcarpenter

(36,988 posts)
16. One of leaders the NSA must of spied on
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 05:38 AM
Oct 2013

Had to be that psychopath
Italy's Silvio Berlusconi who I guess

They found nothing on either.......LOL

 

FarCenter

(19,429 posts)
20. The President's daily briefing includes what the security establishment thinks he should know about
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 07:30 AM
Oct 2013

It would be unusual for it to include raw intelligence information or information about sources and methods.

It is the product of extensive filtering and analysis -- the President doesn't have much time.

Autumn

(44,743 posts)
32. ^^^^This^^^^
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 11:03 AM
Oct 2013

The NSA didn't reveal it spied on the leaders of our allies to the president and chose to hide this program to Obama..... because they didn't get anything? This implies that they and they alone consider what is or what is not important... not the president nor the Congress



That right there says everything that needs to be said.

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
17. WAIT! WHUT!!! THEY WERE TAPPING *MY* PHONE!!!!!! HOW FUCKING DARE THEY!!!!1!!1111!
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 06:11 AM
Oct 2013

She looks like she could either burst into tears or bite a railroad spike in two.

hootinholler

(26,449 posts)
27. Either that, or this is an attempt at damage control
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 08:27 AM
Oct 2013


If you can direct the hearings, maybe you can avoid the worst being revealed.

I want investigation by those who are not currently involved in security oversight. Clearly they have failed to adequately oversee these agencies.

99Forever

(14,524 posts)
24. Well golly gee willikers...
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 07:52 AM
Oct 2013

... Diane, the government version of "Horders" isn't pretty, is it hun?

Where the fuck was your "outrage" when you thought these asswipes were just spying on us peons?

TheKentuckian

(24,934 posts)
25. +1
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 08:06 AM
Oct 2013

The knickers twist when the spying is on those with wealth and power aka the people that one would assume are the purpose of spots. Weird stuff.

dgibby

(9,474 posts)
26. When it comes to DiFi,
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 08:26 AM
Oct 2013

just follow the money. Must be high level angst she's feeling, as it was no big deal for her when it was just the peons being spied on. Looks like someone's chickens are coming home to roost, imo.

MADem

(135,425 posts)
36. She very cleverly inoculated her committee from harm, at least on a surface level.
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 11:32 AM
Oct 2013

Self preservation is nine tenths, and all that.

KoKo

(84,711 posts)
38. Perhaps it was revealed to her that both She and her Husband
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 11:58 AM
Oct 2013

have been "spied upon." A tip off to her that Snowden has info about this which is going to be revealed. After all...by now NSA has got to know what Snowden retrieved.

Isn't her husband a Defense Contractor?

Just my speculation of course. But, surely Senate and House Committee Members could have been targeted? Why not?

Baitball Blogger

(46,570 posts)
39. I think what happened is that they funneled J. Edgar Hoover's brainwaves into the NSA computers.
Tue Oct 29, 2013, 11:59 AM
Oct 2013

Computer intelligence is to blame.

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