House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and many other defenders of the NSA spying program warned critics that the mass collection of our electronic communications had already stopped “dozens” of terrorist plots against the United States. In June, NSA director General Keith Alexander claimed that the just-disclosed bulk collection of Americans’ phone and other electronic records had “foiled 50 terror plots.” These claims were designed to silence opponents by implying they would be partly responsible should another attack occur if they were successful in shutting down the programs.
Dozens of terrorist plots thwarted by the mass collection of billions of our phone calls and e-mails. It sounds very dramatic. But now we know it was not true.
Last week NSA deputy director John C. Inglis testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that far from the dozens of plots disrupted, “at most, one” had in fact been stopped. And even that one was by no means certain
I will write more about this deception and fear-mongering by the NSA and their backers in Congress in my weekly Texas Straight Talk column, out on Monday.
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