NSA director says plot against Wall Street foiled

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

By KIMBERLY DOZIER

WASHINGTON (AP) - The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange, in a forceful defense of the spy operations.

Army Gen. Keith Alexander said the two recently disclosed programs - one that gathers U.S. phone records and another that is designed to track the use of U.S.-based Internet servers by foreigners with possible links to terrorism - are critical in the terrorism fight.

Alexander, seated side by side with top officials from the FBI and Justice Department at a rare, open congressional hearing, described how the operations work under questioning from members of the House Intelligence Committee who displayed a supportive demeanor. The officials as well as members of the panel repeatedly bemoaned the leaks by Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former contractor.

Alexander said Snowden's leaks have caused "irreversible and significant damage to this nation" that also undermined the U.S. relationship with its allies.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130618/DA7095E00.html

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From left, Deputy Attorney General James Cole; National Security Agency (NSA) Deputy Director Chris Inglis; NSA Director Gen. Keith B. Alexander; Deputy FBI Director Sean Joyce; and Robert Litt, general counsel to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, before the House Intelligence Committee hearing regarding NSA surveillance. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

[Myrina]

1. Yeah, it was called Occupy.

But it's not dead yet.

[blkmusclmachine]

16. +1. Def. meant Occupy.

But the sock puppets will be along soon to tell us otherwise..

[tblue]

20. That's the enemy, don'tcha know?

Our tac dolllars are used to protect Wall Street against the 99%. Who is surprised?

[KansDem]

2. Too bad you didn't get the one on 9/11...

Or did you?

[jtuck004]

3. Too bad they didn't catch the one where Wall Street plotted against the American people. n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. Very good point..

Financial terrorism apparently is not a crime.

[PSPS]

4. Just as it is intended to do

This entire apparatus is intended to do only one thing: Protect the 1% against the 99%. That's the real reason everything is so "secret."

[blkmusclmachine]

17. We're all Germans now.

[Gregorian]

5. The biggest threat to my wellbeing is illness, not terrorism.

Keep the Constitution intact, and give us health care.

[bemildred]

6. It is you, Sir, and your agency, that caused "irreversible and significant damage to this nation".

[The CCC]

7. NSA director says plot against Wall Street foiled

I call horse pukey.

When the multi-billion dollar NSA can't stop two idiots with pressure cookers, and handful of fireworks. But has to watch, and record, when I surf the Web. I'm wondering which ones are the bigger idiots.

[timdog44]

8. It seems they are out in force

to protect their way of life at all costs. I wonder if these "gentlemen" are under oath?

What terrorist plot against the New York Stock Exchange? Details please. And on the other 50 some odd plots worldwide. The real people of the United States are in the United States. Not world wide.

[longship]

9. NSA Chief claims they stopped monkeys from flying out of Boehner's butt!

No wonder he cries so often. It's those flying monkeys again.


Try Preparation H, Mr. Speaker.

[olddad56]

10. they just stopped them from flying out, they are still in there.

[xtraxritical]

12. Poor monkeys, where's PETA on this?

[Hydra]

11. Read the full story

And more than a little perturbed that nobody bothered to challenge the remarks...makes it sound more like a press conference and another warning to Snowden to shut up than a show of evidence.

[hughee99]

13. I remember it. The "plot" was the american people calling for those who nearly killed the global

economy to face justice. The government was able to step and and foil that plot, though. Some of those people are still in the same jobs and have any of them ever been charged with ANYTHING?

[blackspade]

14. Alexander is full of shit.

[Fire Walk With Me]

15. How odd. Wall Street has caused "irreversible and significant damage to this nation", exactly

as if a terrorist (economic) bomb were set off upon the people of this nation. Where is the investigation?

[Earth_First]

19. Odd how nary a peep, save the token bi-annual presser...

on foiled terrorist plots, now all of a sudden DOZENS, no 50! plots have been foiled!

If such a proclimation of how important this organization is to terrorist plots; why not announce EVERY instance in which our tax dollars saved our asses from terrorism.

This sudden revelation does not sit well with folks who already have a distrust of the surveillance state.

This does nothing but bolster cynacism and contempt for the NSA.