2 Senators Say the NSA Is Still Feeding Us False Information

[xchrom]

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/2-senators-say-the-nsa-is-still-feeding-us-false-information/277187/


Senator Wyden departs after a full-Senate briefing by Director of the National Security Agency General Keith Alexander / Reuters

President Obama avows that he welcomes a debate about the NSA, privacy and national security*. Before Edward Snowden's leak, Americans lacked the information necessary for that debate; Obama would strongly prefer that we were still oblivious to his domestic surveillance activities. Still, national security officials right up to Obama himself continue to give the impression that they're eager to level with Americans about certain aspects of their behavior, if only to persuade the polity that what's happening every day isn't as alarming as we've been told.

Hence the NSA's decision to release 15 talking points about its interpretation of surveillance law. Lots of ground is covered -- do take a look -- but the document basically portrays a surveillance agency going to great lengths to avoid spying on the private communications of U.S. citizens.

There's just one problem: Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall say that at least one of the NSA's statements is inaccurate, and another one is misleading. "We were disappointed to see that this fact sheet contains an inaccurate statement about how the section 702 authority has been interpreted by the US government," they write. "In our judgment this inaccuracy is significant, as it portrays protections for Americans' privacy as being significantly stronger than they actually are."

Notice that these two U.S. Senators feel unable to tell us what the false information is or to correct the record -- just further evidence that classified programs subvert not only public debate, but also the ability of Congress to openly discuss policy and communicate with constituents.

[idwiyo]

1. Bad senators! Really bad! Why do they hate NSA? NSA is there to protect everyone!

[Octafish]

2. Disloyal Twerps...

...are what the good Democratic Senators warn us about:

PATRIOT Act Being Used to Keep Super Duper Government Spy Operation Top Secret

Who you think the twerps at Carlyle Group really spy on?

[agent46]

3. Yes! A Debate! That's Just What We Need!

After that we can debate about science as a belief system, global climate change as a matter of opinion, and homosexuality as a lifestyle choice. As long as we have a debate, the surveillance state can continue to extend its tentacles into every aspect of our lives unimpeded.

[L0oniX]

4. Liars? In the land of The Great Satan? Gee whodathunkit.

[sibelian]

5. RACISTS!!! RAND PAUL SUPPORTERS!!! COMMIES!!! POLEDANCERS!!!

Dearie me, the enemies of the US are EVERYWHERE.

[RainDog]

6. k&r n/t

[joeybee12]

7. They never really loved him...nt

[neverforget]

8. the NSA is there to protect us. if they lie to us then

it's for our own good.

[siligut]

9. I have a little experience with how the information is used

Failure to conform and comply with the established system, which is designed to benefit the 'big' people at the cost of the 'little' people will get you gang-stalked.

What happens during this Gang Stalking surveillance is very similar to what happened to many innocent individuals in the former East Germany or Activists and Dissidents in Russia. Many innocent people in the former East Germany would be targeted for these harassment programs, and then their friends, family, and the community at large would be used to monitor, prosecute, and harass them. In Russia it was used by the state to declare activist, dissidents or anyone they thought to be an enemy of the state as mentally unfit and many were institutionalised using this form of systemic control.
http://whatreallyhappened.wikia.com/wiki/Gang_Stalking

[LuvNewcastle]

10. This is probably a dumb question, but who decides

that particular information is classified? Does the executive branch always make those determinations?

What is the penalty for a U.S. Senator who reveals classified information? Is it the same penalty as for an ordinary citizen?

What if a Senate committee decided that it was in the public interest to release certain classified information? If that wouldn't be good enough, what if the House and Senate passed a bill authorizing the release of that classified material? Would they be able to de-classify it because of the separation of powers?

It just doesn't seem right to me that a representative of the people isn't allowed to give his constituents information that he believes they need to know, even if that information shouldn't be classified. How will the people ever learn anything unless someone defies the rules?

[felix_numinous]

11. Thank you Senators Wyden and Udall

I think they are brave.