NSA surveillance foiled 'dozens' of terror plots, agency chief says
| Washington
The US government鈥檚 top-secret phone call-monitoring programs revealed in leaks to the media have helped to foil 鈥渄ozens鈥� of terrorist attacks on US soil, according to the head of the National Security Agency (NSA).
On Capitol Hill Wednesday for a previously scheduled hearing to discuss cyberoperations, Gen. Keith Alexander, the head of the NSA, argued to lawmakers that the secret surveillance program has been 鈥渃ritical鈥� to national security.
That said, the clandestine agency is also endeavoring to be 鈥渢ransparent鈥� with the American people, General Alexander assured lawmakers.
One closely-watched exchange came when Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont challenged Alexander about the provisions of the Patriot Act, as well as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which have allowed the NSA to collect information including phone and e-mail records of Americans.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had a number of comments and proposals in the judiciary committee to improve these provisions, but the intelligence community has told us that really we obviously don鈥檛 have the ability as simple senators to know anything as well as you do, and so they do not need changes,鈥� a skeptical Senator Leahy said. 鈥淚鈥檓 told they are critical to our counterterrorism efforts 鈥� Congress shouldn鈥檛 tinker with them at all.鈥澛�
Leahy added, however, that now he wasn鈥檛 so sure that the 鈥渢rust鈥� lawmakers has placed in the NSA to date has been particularly 鈥渨ise.鈥�
Instead, he proposed, 鈥淲e should actually debate [the provisions] in a free and open society.鈥�
The hearing made it clear that the Obama administration is eager to make the case that the program is 鈥渃ritical鈥� to national security 鈥� and to appear transparent.
Alexander noted that he is trying to get permission to release at least some examples of the ways in which the phone surveillance program revealed by The Guardian last week is helping to thwart terrorist attacks.
鈥淚 want the American people to know that we鈥檙e being transparent here,鈥� Alexander said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 dozens of terrorist events that these have helped prevent.鈥�
The NSA head cited a case involving the plot to bomb the New York City subway system, in particular, which he said was disrupted by the provision which allows the NSA to monitor telephone communications.聽
鈥淚n fact, not just critical,鈥� Alexander said of the provision. 鈥淚t was the one that allowed us to know it was happening.鈥�
Leahy, for his part, countered out that perhaps 鈥渄ozens鈥� of thwarted terrorist events didn鈥檛 merit the collection of data from 鈥渕illions鈥� of Americans.
"Now, we collect millions and millions and millions of records through 215" 鈥� the provision that allows the government to collect the telephone records of Americans 鈥� "but dozens of them are proved crucial?" Leahy asked. 鈥淚s that right? Dozens?鈥�
To drive home the point, Leahy repeated the question. 鈥淥ut of those millions, dozens have been critical?鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 correct,鈥� Alexander answered.
