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Not to defend mass surveillance, but why would there be any public record of this? Wouldn't you expect most major thwarted attacks to be kept classified?
by unabridged 11y ago
Not to defend mass surveillance, but why would there be any public record of this? Wouldn't you expect most major thwarted attacks to be kept classified?
- chiph 11y agoIf they had, they would be very tempted to publicize it as that would get them a bigger budget next year.
- strictnein 11y agoRevealing what they stopped would also possibly reveal the methods used to stop it. And they're not exactly hurting in the budget department.
- forgottenpass 11y agoThe Executive branch has a habit of classified information getting "leaked" if it makes them look good and is about a program that is already an open-secret anyway.
- rtkwe 11y agoYou'd expect the exact methods they used to detect and catch the planners to be kept secret or only vaguely talked about. They could crow heavily about any substantial plots stopped though and trot out evidence found after the cell/whatever was rounded up without really exposing how they found the cell.
- hatsunearu 11y ago"We the NSA have prevented N terrorist attacks last month thanks to our surveillance program." Pretty compelling argument for them to be not making, IMHO.
- strictnein 11y agoThey would then reveal to the planners of the attempted attack that it was the NSA that discovered it, not the CIA or FBI, etc. And hardly anyone here would believe them anyways, because the goal posts would just be moved to "Why doesn't the NSA show us proof of the plots they stopped instead of just telling us how many they stopped?".
- merpnderp 11y agoThe TSA has tried to claim credit before, and were mocked for their exaggerations and out right lies.
- nitwit005 11y agoThey don't seem to be doing that. They brag like crazy on most of the terrorism related arrests they make.