NSA pushed **9/11** as key 'SOUND BITE' to justify surveillance

[presence]

http://america.aljazeera.com/article...veillance.html

Revealed: NSA pushed 9/11 as key 'sound bite' to justify surveillance

by Jason Leopold
@JasonLeopold
October 30, 2013 12:09PM ET

An internal document recommended that officials use fear of attack when pressed to explain agency's programs






Gen. Keith Alexander, National Security Agency chief, testifies earlier this year.Mark Wilson/Getty




The National Security Agency advised its officials to cite the 9/11 attacks as justification for its mass surveillance activities, according to a master list of NSA talking points.

The document, obtained by Al Jazeera through a Freedom of Information Act request, contains

talking points and suggested statements for NSA officials (PDF)

responding to the fallout from media revelations that originated with former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.


Invoking the events of 9/11 to justify the controversial NSA programs, which have caused major diplomatic fallout around the world, was the top item on the talking points that agency officials were encouraged to use.


Under the subheading “Sound Bites That Resonate,” the document suggests the statement “I much prefer to be here today explaining these programs, than explaining another 9/11 event that we were not able to prevent.”


NSA head Gen. Keith Alexander used a slightly different version of that statement when he testified before Congress on June 18 in defense of the agency’s surveillance programs.


Asked to comment on the document, NSA media representative Vanee M. Vines pointed Al Jazeera to Alexander’s congressional testimony on Tuesday, and said the agency had no further comment. In keeping with the themes listed in the talking points, the NSA head told legislators that “it is much more important for this country that we defend this nation and take the beatings than it is to give up a program that would result in this nation being attacked.”


Critics have long noted the tendency of senior U.S. politicians and security officials to use the fear of attacks like the one that killed almost 3,000 Americans to justify policies ranging from increased defense spending to the invasion of Iraq.

..

[ClydeCoulter]

Yep, for that and other parts of government for many other harmful things. That's why a real investigation is so important.

[Lucille]

Aren't they sickening? I know it's not Christian of me, but I wish them and theirs nothing but the very worst in life, and then to rot in hell.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-1...cks-sound-bite

As might be expected, the agency tells its people to use the attacks on September 11, 2001 to manipulate public opinion into accepting unacceptable levels of surveillance. As I have maintained over and over again for years, our overreaction to 9/11 has done exponentially more damage to the nation than any terrorist attack ever could.

[RickyJ]

Ah this talks about 9/11, off to hot topics, we can't let lurkers see this!

[presence]

1$7,21$/ SECURITY AGENCY CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 20755-6000 FOIA Case: 71184B 17 October 2013 Dear Mr. Leopold: This further responds to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 13 June 2013, which was received by this office on 14 June 2013, for "copies of all talking points as well as all documents, which includes but is not limited to, emails, reports, memos, transcripts, used to prepare said talking points for members of Congress, the media and anyone else within the Obama administration surrounding the leak of information related to NSA surveillance activities. To be clear, the leak that was first reported by The Guardian Newspaper and the Washington Post." On 27 June 2013, you agreed to narrow the scope of this request to "final talking points, documents from which information was pulled to put into the talking points, and the final agreement from whoever was going to be using the talking points as to their content." As stated in our intitial response letter dated 18 June 2013, your request has been assigned Case Number 71184. For purposes of this request and based on the information you provided in your letter, you are considered a representative of the media. Unless you qualify for a fee waiver or reduction, you must pay for duplication in excess of the first 100 pages. Since there are no assessable fees for this request, we are not addressing your request for a fee waiver. We have completed our search for records reponsive to your request. A portion of the material is enclosed. Please note that the documents that contain or represent talking points are prepared and approved for a speaker to use and do not necessarily represent what the speaker actually said at the event. The remaining material responsive to your request requires review prior to release. Since your request is not a simple request, it has been placed in the first-in, first-out processing backlog queue. Because there are a significant FOIA Case: 71184B number of cases ahead of yours in the queue, however, we are unable to respond to your request within 20 days. We appreciate your patience with our efforts to treat all requesters fairly by responding to each on a "first-in, first- out" basis. Ends: afs Sincerely, PAMELA N. PHILLIPS





[28 pages...]

working on that. came as a string w/ new paragraph after each word... now I have wall of text.

[AuH20]

Anything for the funding.

[presence]

1$7,21$/

SECURITY AGENCY CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 20755-6000

FOIA Case: 71184B 17

October 2013


Dear Mr. Leopold:

This further responds to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 13 June 2013, which was received by this office on 14 June 2013, for "copies of all talking points as well as all documents, which includes but is not limited to, emails, reports, memos, transcripts, used to prepare said talking points for members of Congress, the media and anyone else within the Obama administration surrounding the leak of information related to NSA surveillance activities. To be clear, the leak that was first reported by The Guardian Newspaper and the Washington Post." On 27 June 2013, you agreed to narrow the scope of this request to "final talking points, documents from which information was pulled to put into the talking points, and the final agreement from whoever was going to be using the talking points as to their content."

As stated in our intitial response letter dated 18 June 2013, your request has been assigned Case Number 71184. For purposes of this request and based on the information you provided in your letter, you are considered a representative of the media. Unless you qualify for a fee waiver or reduction, you must pay for duplication in excess of the first 100 pages. Since there are no assessable fees for this request, we are not addressing your request for a fee waiver.

We have completed our search for records reponsive to your request. A portion of the material is enclosed. Please note that the documents that contain or represent talking points are prepared and approved for a speaker to use and do not necessarily represent what the speaker actually said at the event.

The remaining material responsive to your request requires review prior to release. Since your request is not a simple request, it has been placed in the first-in, first-out processing backlog queue. Because there are a significant FOIA Case: 71184B number of cases ahead of yours in the queue, however, we are unable to respond to your request within 20 days. We appreciate your patience with our efforts to treat all requesters fairly by responding to each on a "first-in, first- out" basis. Ends: afs

Sincerely,

PAMELA N. PHILLIPS
Chief FOIA/PA Office DOCID: 4081033


UNCLASSIFIED


MEDIA LEAKS ONE CARD


FIRST RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DEFEND THE NATION.

NSA AND ITS PARTNERS MUST MAKE SURE WE CONNECT THE DOTS SO THAT THE NATION IS NEVER ATTACKED AGAIN LIKE IT WAS ON 9/11

• LAWFUL PATH WORKING THROUGH ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT -CONGRESS, COURTS, AND EXECUTIVE BRANCH- LEGAL AUTHORITIES AND RIGOROUS OVERSIGHT. COMPLIANCE.

• FISA PROVIDES THAT IN ORDER TO TARGET THE CONTENT OF A U.S. PERSON'S COMMUNICATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, NSA REQUIRES A FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE UNDER A SPECIFIC COURT ORDER.

• A REPORT ISSUED BY THE SENATE SELECT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IN JUNE 2012 IN SUPPORT OF THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE 2008 AMENDMENTS TO FISA EMPHASIZED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS THESE SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITIES IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER: "THROUGH FOUR YEARS OF OVERSIGHT, THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SINGLE CASE IN WHICH A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ENGAGED IN WILLFUL EFFORT TO CIRCUMVENT OR VIOLATE THE LAW."

• PROGRAMS HAVE RESULTED IN INTELLIGENCE THAT HELPED CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISRUPTION OF OVER 50 POTENTIAL TERRORIST ATTACKS.

• ALLIES BENEFIT TOO.

• DISCLOSURES HAVE DONE IRREVERSIBLE AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO SECURITY.

• EVERY TIME THERE ARE DISCLOSURES, IT MAKES OUR JOB HARDER.

• OUR ADVERSARIES ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND WE ALREADY SEE SIGNS THEY ARE MAKING ADJUSTMENTS.

• NSA IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

• NSA EMPLOYEES AND AFFILIATES ARE GREAT PEOPLE DOING GREAT WORK; THEY ARE PATRIOTS WHO SERVE IN SILENCE.

• WE COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT INDUSTRY SUPPORT


f.pproved for Release by NsA on 10-17-2013, FOIA rase# 71184


DOCID: 4081032

UNCLASSIFIED

MEDIA LEAKS MASTER TPS 24 JUNE 2013

SOUND BITES THAT RESONATE

•I MUCH PREFER TO BE HERE TODAY EXPLAINING THESE PROGRAMS, THAN EXPLAINING ANOTHER 9/11 EVENT THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO PREVENT.

MISSION

• OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO DEFEND THE NATION. "NSf'l MISSION IS TO PRODUCt FOHE!GN 11\JTEI .. UGEI\JCE TO PROTECT THE U.S. ~\ND ITS A LUES. "TilE MISSION OF 1\!SA JlJ;JD ITS MIUT/4HY COMPOI\lf:P~T, THE CEI\lTHAL SECURITY SERVICE, IS FOCUSED Dfll St\VING UVES, DEFENDII\JG VITAL NETWORKS, Af\ID iN PROVIDING ESSENTIAL FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE TO OUH NATION'S LEADERS AI\ID AlUES. WE'VE SERVED THE NATION IN SILENCE FOri 60 YEAHS.


WE NEEDED TO CONNECT THE DOTS

• AFTER 9/111T WAS DETERMINED THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY FAILED TO CONNECT THE DOTS.

• SOME OF THOSE DOTS WEHE IN lllE UNITED STATES. THE INTELliGENCE COMMUNITY WAS NOT ABLE TO CONNECT THOSE "DOMESTIC DOIS''- PHONE Ci'l,LLS BETWEEN OPERATIVES IN THE U.S.- f:\ND ,<\L~ Q_A'iDA TEHHOH!STS OVERSE!4S.

• A MAJOR CHALLENGE IN THIS DIGITAL AGE IS THAT TERRORISTS AND CITIZENS USE THE SAME COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS.

• BECAUSE TERRORISTS AND KEY TARGETS USE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS AND MEANS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, NSA MAINTAINS A ROBUST SET OF TOOLS AND CAPABILITIES THAT ENABLE IT TO LAWFULLY PROVIDE CRITICAL, TIMELY INTELLIGENCE TO U.S. GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND TO OUR KEY ALLIES.

• POST-9/11 WE MADE SEVERAL CHANGES AND ADDED A NUMBER OF CAPABILITIES TO ENABLE US TO CONNECT THE DOTS.

• TWO OF THOSE CAPABILITIES ARE THE BUSINESS RECORDS FISA, OR SECTION 215 AND FAA 702 OR PRISM. <>FOLLOWING THE 9/11 COMMISSION FINDINGS, COI\IGRESS Pi\SSED THE UNCLASSIFIED f'pproved for Release by \IS A on 10-17-2013, FOIA ~'"'ase # 71184 DOCID: 4081032 UNCLASSIFIED P/~HliOT ACT. SECTiON :US OF THAT ACT, J>.S IT H/'.\S BEEN !NTEHPRETED AI\ID APPUED, HELPS THE GOVEHNMEI\IT 0..05( THAT GAP BY EN/UlUNG IHE DETECTION 01' TELEPHONE COI\lTACT BFTWEEI\l TERHOHISTS OVEHSE/115 /-\ND OPEHATIVES WITHIN THE UNITED STtHES. LATEit 11\1 2007 AND 2008 COI\IGHESS Pl\SSED STATUTES TO ENABLE THE lJSG TO IVIOHE EFFECTIVELY COLlECT FOREIGN INTElliGENCE INFORMATION t\BOUT FOREIGN PERSONS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF US COMIVIUNICAT!Of\15 PHOVIDEHS, "THESE PfKJGRAMS ARE UfVIITED, FOCUSED, AND SUBJECT TO HIGOBOUS OVERSIGHT. THEY H/WE DISTINCT PURPOSES AND OVERSIGHT MECHAf\IISIVlS.


PROGRAM OVERSIGHT

• THESE CAPABILITIES WERE APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, CONGRESS AND THE FISA COURT; All THREE BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT. • AND WITH THESE EXCEPTIONAL AUTHORITIES CAME SIGNIFICANT OVERSIGHT FROM All THREE BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT.

• A REPORT ISSUED BY THE SENATE SELECT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE IN JUNE 2012 IN SUPPORT OF THE REAUTHORIZATION OF THE 2008 AMENDMENTS TO FISA EMPHASIZED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IMPLEMENTS THESE SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITIES IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER:

"THROUGH FOUR YEARS OF OVERSIGHT, THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SINGLE CASE IN WHICH A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL ENGAGED IN WILLFUL EFFORT TO CIRCUMVENT OR VIOlATE THE LAW."

"WE WORI< THROUGH Alt THREE BRANCHES OF GOVEHNIVIENT- CONGRESS, COURTS, AND EXECUTIVE --TO RECEIVE THE NECESSAHY lEGAL AUTHORITIES AND RIGOROUS OVERSIGHT TO DO OUR MISSION.

"THIS IS A HIGHLY REGULATED SPACE.


PROTECTION OF PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

• TO BE CLEAR, UNDER FISA, IN ORDER TO TARGET the CONTENT Of A U.S. PERSON's COMMUNICATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, NSA REQUIRES A FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE UNDER A SPECIFIC COURT ORDER

•IN MY VIEW, THE LEAKED TARGETING AND MINIMIZATION PROCEDURES FOR FAA 702 DEMONSTRATE

"A RULE-BOUND INTELLIGENCE BUREAUCRACY THAT IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN FOREIGNERS AND U.S. PERSONS .... THE TWO SETS OF RULES, EACH NINE PAGES LONG, BELIE THE IMAGE OF A ROGUE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY RECKLESSLY VIOLATING 2 UNCLASSIFIED DOCID: 4081032 UNCLASSIFIED AMERICAN'S PRIVACY." "1\ISA EMPLOYEES AHE ACUTELY AWARE OF 'fHE !MPOHTA!I!CE OF PROTECTING THE 4TH AMENDMENT. WE ARE, OUHSELVES, PRIVATE CITIZENS. "

'"TAHGETING" AND "MINIMIZATION" PHOCEDURES /.\HE USED BY THE NSf~ UNDEH SECTION 702


TO Ei'~SUHE Tllt\T OUR FOHE!Gi\IINTELUGEI\ICE COLLECT!OIIJ ONLY TARGETS FOREIGN PEHSOI\!S OF !1\ITHUGEI\ICE INTEHEST BEUEVED TO BE OUTSIDE THE U.S. "THESE HIGOHOUS FHOCEDUHES DETAil THE HANDLING Of t\NY U.S. PEHSOI\i COiVl!VIUI\JICATIONS.

"THE "Ti\RGETING PROCEDURES" Ui\JDEH 702 AHE THE RULES REQUIRED BY CONGHESS AND APPHOVED BY THE COURT TO EI\ISUHE THAT \.1\fE ARE PURPOSEFULLY DIHECTING OUR EFFOHTS J.\T FOREIGNERS OUTSIDE THE US FOR A VALID INTELliGEi\JCE REASON UI<E COUNTEHTERHOR!SIVL '" .L\U. T/.\RGET!NG DECISIONS ARE DOC!HVIEI\ITED 11\1 tl.D\/AI\lCE J\ND HEGULARLY REVIEWED BY THE DEPAfnMENT OF JUSTICE AND THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAl!NTELUGENCL "THE

"MINIMIZATiON" PROCEDURES AHE THE RULES REQUIRED BY CONGHESS AND APPHOVED BY THE COURT TO ENSUHE THE PROTECTION OF US PERSOI\15' PHIVACY AND CIVIL UBEHTIES THHOUGH THE PROCESS WHEN WE 1~\CQU!RE, ANALYZE AND DISSEMINATE 11\IFORIVlATIOI\1. <> NSA IS COMMITTED TO COMPW\NCE WITH HIE LAW, THEREBY PROTECTING AND UPHOlDING THE PRIVACY AND CIViL UBERTIES OF THE AIVlEHICA.N PEOPLE "COIVlPUANCE AT NSA IS ROBUST AND n!GOHOUS. THE HE ARE MUlTIPLE INTERN/~l AND EXTERNAl lEVELS OF CO!V1PUANCE, HEVIEW, AND OVERSIGHT. f.\N.t\LYSTS WITH ACCESS TO COIVIMUN!CATIONS lf\JFOHIV1ATlON Ul\lDEHGO D<TENSIVE ,1\ND ONGOING rHAH\l!f\lG ·nmOUGHOUT THEIH CAHEEHS Hll OIUlHi TO ENSUF~E PROPER HANDLING OF U.S. PERSON !NFORIVlAT!OI\1. THE PROGRAMS WHICH HAVE BEENDISCUSSED IN THE NIEDIA RECENTLY 1-\IIE SUBJECT TO NOT ONLY INTERNAL SCRUTINY, BUT ALSO OVERSIGHT FRO!Vl ALL THHEE BRANCHES OF GOVERNiVIEI\!T.

"QUERIES INTO DATABASES AHE REGULARLY AUDITED TO ENSUHE PROPEH HAf\IDUI\IG OF DATA. f\NY VIOI.ATIOf\lS AHE INVESTIGATED, /.\ND REPOHTHJ 3 UNCLASSIFIED













Still working on that, this is a text capture of the pdf; some personal editing by checking back to the original... will update, this is JUST THE FIRST SIX PAGES of 29

[RickyJ]

Anything for the funding.

Anything indeed, including staging another false flag attack like 9/11.

[Cap]

Yep, for that and other parts of government for many other harmful things. That's why a real investigation is so important.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[cajuncocoa]

Ah this talks about 9/11, off to hot topics, we can't let lurkers see this!

She gets the vapors just thinking about this topic:

[presence]

Dumbest Logic Ever: 9/11 Happened Without Today's NSA Surveillance, And That's Proof Why It's Necessary

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131101/12181625100/dumbest-logic-ever-911-happened-without-todays-nsa-surveillance-thats-proof-why-its-necessary.shtml

Say That Again
by Mike Masnick
Fri, Nov 1st 2013 12:50pm





Filed Under:
9/11, dhs, nsa, nsa surveillance, stewart baker

Permalink.
Dumbest Logic Ever: 9/11 Happened Without Today's NSA Surveillance, And That's Proof Why It's Necessary

from the how-do-these-people-get-to-be-in-power dept

Oh, Stewart Baker. You may recall this former top NSA and DHS official from the time he said the Boston bombing proved that civil liberties advocates were wrong about cybersecurity. Or, maybe the time he blamed 9/11 on civil libertarians. Or, how about the time he said privacy advocates were to blame for the TSA groping you at the airport? And those are all just in the past few months. Baker always seems good for a head-smackingly ridiculous quote, and it appears that The Guardian got him to provide yet another one.

The Guardian has a big, overly designed (pretty, but... not clear for what good) piece called NSA Files: Decoded, which goes through many of the revelations in the Snowden docs and why they're important. It's a good read, interspersed with videos (which annoyingly autoplay as you get to them). Baker appears a few times, with his second video being another insane quote (as far as I can tell, there's no way to embed the video here):

You can say, well show me proof that this really worked. I can show you proof that the lack of this really failed. And when you lose 3,000 people, that proof is pretty compelling.

That statement is shockingly non-sensical. With that sort of logic, you can argue for almost any abuse of power. You know what else we didn't have before 9/11? Surgically implanted chips in our brains that would transmit our every thought to Stewart Baker's home computer. Is that "compelling proof" that we should now have that? The fact that we didn't have this kind of surveillance at the time of 9/11 is not "compelling proof" that it makes sense now, and you have to have no comprehension of basic logic and reasoning to think so.

The logic here is "9/11 happened, so anything we didn't have in place during 9/11 is automatically compelling proof that it should be in place." You know what else we didn't have when 9/11 happened? Well, the list is pretty damn long. We didn't have a US monarchy. Perhaps we need that. We had airplanes, which were used in the attacks. Perhaps it's compelling evidence that we should get rid of airplanes. You can use this kind of brain dead logic to justify just about anything.

But, of course, that's now how you actually do things. You don't justify something by saying "this went wrong, we have to do something, something has been done, and that's compelling proof." There's a big black box that Baker skips over, and it's the question he was originally asked and declined to answer: does the "something" actually work? But, in Baker's distorted view of the world, that doesn't seem to matter.

[presence]

Published on Jun 26, 2013
On September 10th 2001, Sec. Defence Donald Rumseld announced that 2.3 Trillion Dollars in transactions could not be accounted for. On September 11th 2001 the Accounting offices in the Pentagon were blown up.

[presence]

On 9/11 "sound bites"

Kerry, "They did it in a controlled fashion." @ 2:40