NSA Insiders Reveal What Went Wrong

[unhappycamper]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/01/08-0

In a memo to President Obama, former National Security Agency insiders explain how NSA leaders botched intelligence collection and analysis before 9/11, covered up the mistakes, and violated the constitutional rights of the American people, all while wasting billions of dollars and misleading the public.

NSA Insiders Reveal What Went Wrong
by Former NSA Senior Executives & Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
Published on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 by Common Dreams

~snip~

We write you with a sense of urgency looking toward your upcoming decisions regarding the activities of the National Security Agency. We the undersigned (William Binney, Thomas Drake, Edward Loomis, and Kirk Wiebe) worked with NSA for a total of 144 years, most of them at senior levels. Our mission required the highest technical skills to keep the country safe from foreign enemies, while protecting the privacy rights of U.S. citizens under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

For us, the 21st Century arrived with serious management and technical shortcomings at NSA in meeting the huge challenges posed by the digital and Internet age and the huge problems accompanying the transition from a Cold War footing over 40 years to an increasingly complex world with many asymmetric threats.

NSA management’s reaction in this environment not only opened the door to the attacks of 9/11 but led to violation of what had been the “First Commandment” at NSA; namely, “Thou Shalt Not Eavesdrop on Americans Without a Court Warrant.” Under the circumstances, three of us (Binney, Loomis, and Wiebe) left; Drake had just come on board in hopes of playing a constructive role in addressing the challenges at NSA.

We all share an acute sense of regret for NSA’s demonstrable culpability for what happened on 9/11, and – for those of us working there before the terrorist attacks – a remorse for not having been able to stop them. We tried; but it is hard to escape a nagging regret that, somehow, we should have tried harder.

[SamKnause]

1. 9/11

Not one single person was fired, or held accountable after 9/11.

From the White House down, all retained their jobs and many were promoted.

The trillions we have spent to spy on the world did not keep the U.S. safe.

The trillions we have spent on the Military Industrial Complex did not keep the U.S. safe.

No one was held accountable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BlueToTheBone]

2. Because they are "it" and no one likes to say

I was wrong and accept the consequences.

[LiberalArkie]

3. Please read the entire memo. It is long but very good.

http://consortiumnews.com/2014/01/07/nsa-insiders-reveal-what-went-wrong/