For NSA chief, terrorist threat drives passion to ‘collect it all,’ observers say

[Jesus Malverde]

“Rather than look for a single needle in the haystack, his approach was, ‘Let’s collect the whole haystack,’ ” said one former senior U.S. intelligence official who tracked the plan’s implementation. “Collect it all, tag it, store it. .?.?. And whatever it is you want, you go searching for it.”

The unprecedented data collection plan, dubbed Real Time Regional Gateway, would play a role in breaking up Iraqi insurgent networks and significantly reducing the monthly death toll from improvised explosive devices by late 2008. It also encapsulated Alexander’s controversial approach to safeguarding Americans from what he sees as a host of imminent threats, from terrorism to devastating cyberattacks.

In his eight years at the helm of the country’s electronic surveillance agency, Alexander, 61, has quietly presided over a revolution in the government’s ability to scoop up information in the name of national security. And, as he did in Iraq, Alexander has pushed hard for everything he can get: tools, resources and the legal authority to collect and store vast quantities of raw information on American and foreign communications.

“What authorization gave you the grounds for acquiring my cellphone data?” demanded Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), waving his mobile phone at the four-star general.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/for-nsa-chief-terrorist-threat-drives-passion-to-collect-it-all/2013/07/14/3d26ef80-ea49-11e2-a301-ea5a8116d211_story.html

[Laelth]

1. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[tularetom]

2. A paranoid control freak in charge of the nation's internal security network

What could possibly go wrong?

[leveymg]

3. We_are_all_Iraqis,_now._eom

[The Straight Story]

4. Spy on the government, go to prison. They spy on you - you pay them more to help them out.

I am a US citizen, they have no right to pry into my life unless, and until, I break a law that they are willing to prosecute me over.

That some think it is OK if they do it is more frightening than them actually doing it, to me anyway. It means that some folks have bought the lie that we are all potential enemies of the state and need watched.