8 ms·
Everyone always says (including me) that NSA existed for a long time--including the giant building at Ft. Meade--but it was never publicly acknowledged until ma
by dfc 13y ago
Everyone always says (including me) that NSA existed for a long time--including the giant building at Ft. Meade--but it was never publicly acknowledged until many decades later. I went looking for a solid reference tonight and could not find one. I found a lot of sources repeating the same line but nothing saying "In XXXX the WH publicly acknowledged the existence of NSA for the first time since its formation in the 50s."
- wl 13y agoI think people are confusing the NSA for the National Reconnaissance Office, who are responsible for the United States' spy satellites. It was founded in 1960 but its very existence wasn't declassified until 1992.
- makomk 13y agoI doubt there was ever an actual, official point where they formally acknowledged its existence - that'd draw far too much attention.
- dfc 13y agoWell they acknowledge NSA now so it seems that there must have been a point in the past when they acknowledged it for the first time. Furthermore as another commenter points out NRO was not acknowledged until 1991 even though NRO was mentioned in public documents in the 1970s.