An independent executive branch board has concluded that the National Security Agency’s long-running program to collect billions of Americans’ phone records is illegal and should end.
In a strongly worded report to be issued today, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board said that the statute upon which the program was based, Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, “does not provide an adequate basis to support this program…”
The board’s conclusion goes further than President Obama…The board had shared its conclusions with Obama in the days leading up to his speech…
The divided panel also concluded that the program raises serious threats to civil liberties, has shown limited value in countering terrorism and is not sustainable from a policy perspective.
“We have not identified a single instance involving a threat to the United States in which the telephone records program made a concrete difference in the outcome of a counterterrorism investigation,” said the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. “Moreover, we are aware of no instance in which the program directly contributed to the discovery of a previously unknown terrorist plot or the disruption of a terrorist attack.”
The politicians and pundits who say otherwise are liars, egregious and gutless, fools dedicated to doublethink. RTFA for beaucoup details, analysis – albeit as stodgy as expected.
No really?
“We have not identified a single instance involving a threat to the United States in which the telephone records program made a concrete difference in the outcome of a counterterrorism investigation,” said the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. “Moreover, we are aware of no instance in which the program directly contributed to the discovery of a previously unknown terrorist plot or the disruption of a terrorist attack.”
This is what I said some months back. So far as I was able to tell it was useful for running down contacts after the fact but it prevented nothing which means the program is very high priced welfare for NSA types and that’s about it. It appears to be a total waste of money.
Lots and lots and lots of money. As profitable for corrupt bureaucrats and private contractors as invading Iraq.
And tidier.
Irrelevant. Even if they caught someone the laws this whole system is based on are unconstitutional extension of questionable old-tech related Supreme Court ruling. If we are country of laws the whole system would be dismantled by honest Attorney General (halted, challenged and brought up to Supreme Court). We haven’t have had those recently.
Than, if The People truly want better security in exchange for power of the state, fine – write and pass new Constitutional Amendments, once those are in place create and pass laws based on these new powers. Until that is done we have banana state (which crosses the party lines, Banana Bush and Banana Obama state).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_and_Civil_Liberties_Oversight_Board is appointed by Congress and article references the recent report of a committe set up by Obama.
If you don’t want to do anything: form a committee. TWO such committees is an early sign of the Apocalypse.
Only a very rich country on the downside of history can act this way: waste money on programs that don’t work then waste money to investigate them.
Silly Hoomans.
WOW!
What an about-face of attitude from someone who not that long ago was saying how honest the Obama regime was and how it was all going to CHANGE!
According your reply (which seems to be demeaning these Obama committees), it’s not just the republicans who are money grubbing crazy. It’s “the government.” Right BOBBO?!
(Oh! This should be good. Watch how he twists it and refuses to look at his gods [his masters, the Democrats] for the evil little bastards that they are. Watch how BOOBOO continues to try and bullshit us into believing that his party is still the better party – DESPITE THE EVIDENCE!)
No comparison in scale. PCLOB budget = $3.1 million. NSA budget, the amount admitted to = $60 billion.
Never Reads and Blows: I can tell you are a puke because you argue by way of: making shit up. I defy you to find anything I have posted or even implied that Obama or the Dumbocrats are to be trusted. Must I revert to my overused closing flame of: VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE?
I do post constantly that the Dumbo’s are indeed better on most issues than the Pukes. That does not make them pure as you lie, it just means their pile of shit is smaller than the Puke’s pile of shit.
You can join P/M and Pedro in not understanding analysis in REALITY by way of least evil as opposed to dog whistle stupidity of good vs evil.
There are individuals who once in a while, like fireworks in the sky, shine by comparison. But in the main, the sky is dark and so much larger.
Know what I mean?
VOTE ALL INCUMBENTS OUT OF OFFICE===and don’t vote the same party/family/prior holders in again. Hilliary, I’m looking at you, Jeb Bush too.
Silly Pukes….. blinded by Dogma.
Vote all Progressives out of office. Examine who voted for what and what their underlying ideology calls for. Progressives from Left and Right want stronger state which unavoidably leads to Government capable of and interested in spying and control.
You can’t have one without the other. You want “government benefits”, “obamacare or single payer healthcare”, “progressive tax code”,… bend over for spying and control.
dusanmal — you so rarely respond to what anyone says. Does it make you “lonely?” Anyhoo… in fact, I think you have responded to me a few times. I’m always surprised. And you never react to the fact I call you a piece of shit every chance I get. Ha, ha. Yes, I’m further into my six pack…..I’m a happy drunk. Loving my fellow homos. Lets see what has you all excited?
THE DUCE says:
1/23/2014 at 3:42 pm
Vote all Progressives out of office. /// Well, given they would all be incumbents: I agree.
Examine who voted for what and what their underlying ideology calls for. /// Well, if they are all gonna be voted out of office…. why bother??? Unless you are going to make exceptions to the general rule…. then I agree: LOOK AT THEIR RECORD. Who can disagree?
Progressives from Left and Right /// a nice subtle point there dusanmal. Makes me think a few of your brain cells have not been lost to the Bilderberg think tank.
want stronger state which unavoidably leads to Government capable of and interested in spying and control. //// Well…… it is avoidable. You mean there is a constant tug in that direction? I agree.
You can’t have one without the other. /// Well…. no one should “care” about what power groups (aka the Gubment) may want or desire but rather what they are actually doing? To the former–I agree. To the later—I have already disagreed.
“…..♫…You don’t always get what you want…..”
You want “government benefits”, /// Yes.
“obamacare or single payer healthcare”, /// two opposite things. I want single payer.
“progressive tax code” /// No other society has anything different
,… bend over for spying and control. /// Spying and control are two separate Venn Circles. Each has their own Pros and Cons. You really aren’t being specific enough to highlight your general stupidity….. and I’m drunk.
Gonna make a blueberry waffle. Catch you on the flip flop.
I’d add a key point to this…vote all incumbents out of office, but don’t replace them with other corporate-funded, special-interest-driven candidates. Otherwise we’ll just see the same bullshit continue where the previous stuff left off.
Quite right. The Golden Rule breaks down more likely however when two incumbents are running. THEN you gotta decide which corrupted special interest is least injurious to the commonweal.
Lets imagine 2016: Hilliary vs Christie.
What ya gonna do?
I’d say vote for corrupt Hilliary as Dumbos are the lesser to two Evils. Others might say there is no proof that Christie is in the pocker of Big $$ Developers, but the issue is the same==both are incumbents.
I would of course vote for any third party candidate that could poll into the low 30%. That would likely get Christie elected, but would register my dissatisfaction for the next election.
Reasonable people may differ.
This is an outrage. Thanks, Obama
Oh Dallas………. have you arabesqued into the dark side? I hope not. Your enthusiasm for Obama was a bright spot on this forum.
Are you comparing Obama to perfection…… or to the alternatives?
Its all in how you contextualize the issue.
Let’s do a thought experiment: Obamagod is truly the icon of Hope and Change. Then, he gets into office and acts JUST LIKE BushtheRetard.
I blame the Daily Briefing. Its the book of Satan.
Ha, ha.
Like President Obama, I also concur that the NSA procedures need more restraint.
You can’t be so simplistic as to say vote all of “the imcumbents” should be voted out or that all progressives should be voted out. If you care about this country then start looking for Nationalists and vote against Globablist.
The Globalist are the ones forcing the Free “Slave” Trade on us, and keeping Tariffs from even being discussed. Globalist/Free Traders(Traitors) are the one’s forcing 60 Million Mexican onto our country. You think we’re fucked now, wait until the 60 Million Mexican are given legal status and we get anough 120 Million Mexicans/Central Americans and South Americans brought in. Our wages will be in the toliet, our standard of living will be shit, worse than the Chinese Peasants, this is what the Globatist want and are demanding.
This massive influx will be the end of the United States and will bring about the North American Union and the end of all freedom in the United States.
We will never match the Chinese on cost of labor, and robots will still be cheaper in China than in the US – This the legacy of the Globalist/Free Taders(Traitors). We’ve given away our tech edge/heavy industries and tariffs are the only way for us to defend ourselves and get our people employed.
If you care about this country then start looking for Nationalists and vote against Globablist. //// Thats a good slice of the pie as well. The benefits of “free trade” need to be offset by the reality of protecting one’s own home market. I think the harm of protecting against foreign competition are greatly overstated. Those harms are there but the harms of free trade are never factored in==like foreign debt, trade deficits, unemployment etc. National vs Global does catch a lot of that.
Amazing how relatively straight forward language by our 4th president by James Madison, can be trashed by our 44th president Barack Obama (a civil rights attorney who taught constitutional law)!
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.