General Discussion

spicegal

(758 posts)

31. How would Bergen know how many plots may or may not have been thwarted?

Wed Jun 19, 2013, 06:30 AM

Jun 2013

Sorry, but I think this stuff with the NSA is being a tad overblown. They've been surveilling phone data for years. The techniques have just become far more sophisticated as technology has advanced. They're not listening in on conversations or reading personal emails, which would be impossible given their resources and an absurd waste of time even if they could. As I understand it, they're using the data to cross reference, look for patterns and connections. It's perfectly legal based on our current law.

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CNN's Peter Bergen Probes Claim NSA Halted "Dozens" of Attacks - Finds It Mainly Hype [View all] Hissyspit Jun 2013 OP

That's unusually vertebrate of CNN. (nt) Posteritatis Jun 2013 #1

Bergen is good. His only problem is he works for CNN, but Hissyspit Jun 2013 #3

The press right one is not happy nadinbrzezinski Jun 2013 #6

How many of these were FBI initiated stings? Eddie Haskell Jun 2013 #19

Precisely Ednahilda Jun 2013 #34

I like your use of "vertebrate". Puzzledtraveller Jun 2013 #43

It might overstate things a bit, but hey, there's hints of a notochord at least! (nt) Posteritatis Jun 2013 #45

And that is a reason to quit spying on China and the Wahhabi fundamentalists? Kolesar Jun 2013 #2

Maybe, but who called for that? Hissyspit Jun 2013 #4

While this is largely solid and factual, the Time Square bomber was known to CIA/NSA by his Awlaki leveymg Jun 2013 #5

Lovely, but the attack was foiled when two street vendors discovered a car bomb . avaistheone1 Jun 2013 #9

The bomb was a dud, like most of the ones designed by Awlaki's "genius" bomb maker. leveymg Jun 2013 #10

yep! NoMoreWarNow Jun 2013 #33

Oh yeah, "it's a toss up" cnn Cha Jun 2013 #7

Lumping all NSA 'programs' together & then dismissing them as fishing expeditions is a mistake. KittyWampus Jun 2013 #8

Can you name one NSA/CIA/FBI operation that actually deterred a real foreign terrorist attack? leveymg Jun 2013 #11

None here . Eddie Haskell Jun 2013 #21

They can't even pin down how much they've spent on JTTF "Fusion Centers" to the nearest $billion leveymg Jun 2013 #22

What, exactly, are you defending/ pscot Jun 2013 #13

That is the big secret they want to hide. kentuck Jun 2013 #14

Thank you. JDPriestly Jun 2013 #23

People protecting their fiefdoms formercia Jun 2013 #39

Do you work for the government? burnodo Jun 2013 #29

Lol. The trainwreck is fascinating to watch, funny and sad at the same time. Bittersweet Catherina Jun 2013 #12

Like they care about silly things like facts Fearless Jun 2013 #15

Thanks for the post. ctsnowman Jun 2013 #16

By All Means Quantify Results DallasNE Jun 2013 #17

Funny, I can't find any. Eddie Haskell Jun 2013 #18

I could smell the manure the minute the official claims hit the press. marmar Jun 2013 #20

Hype, or hope. Either way, they're both phony lies. blkmusclmachine Jun 2013 #24

But even if one American life were saved through spending $100s of billions annually in violating indepat Jun 2013 #25

First, let me state that I feel the NSA budget is way too much money that could be spent on other... DontTreadOnMe Jun 2013 #26

Breaking: NSA leak lowers toilet use. L0oniX Jun 2013 #27

He is talking about homegrown jihadist extremists Life Long Dem Jun 2013 #28

So, is CNN good journalism or a bunch of hacks dbackjon Jun 2013 #30

How would Bergen know how many plots may or may not have been thwarted? spicegal Jun 2013 #31

So we can just forget about spying ? treestar Jun 2013 #32

There have been such calls for 50 years--nothing ever comes of it Demeter Jun 2013 #35

Say it ain't so! n/t Catherina Jun 2013 #36

The first thing I thought of when this claim was trotted out: Bush/Cheney's "Library Tower" Plot... AzDar Jun 2013 #37

"Liberty Tower" as shrub referred to it.. frylock Jun 2013 #38

The real problem libdude Jun 2013 #40

This is how the three-letter-agencies foil a terrorist plot. backscatter712 Jun 2013 #41

well of course, it has little to do with "terror",. and much to do with dissent,. Civilization2 Jun 2013 #42

It's like that U.S. / Canada border guard who was a complete asshole... Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2013 #44