(Newser) � The head of the NSA told a Senate panel today that his agency's controversial surveillance had helped prevent "dozens of terrorist events," reports the Wall Street Journal.

Gen. Keith Alexander said he couldn't go into specifics but was working to declassify some of the details.

He did mention two cases in which the information helped bring about arrests, reports the Washington Post�that of Najibullah Zazi, who pleaded guilty in 2010 to plotting suicide attacks in New York City, and David Headley, who helped plan the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Also of note is an exchange with Susan Collins in which she makes reference to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, reports ThinkProgress:
Collins: �I saw an interview in which Mr. Snowden claimed that due to his position at NSA he could tap into virtually any American�s phone call or e-mails. True or false?�

Alexander: �False, I know of no way to do that.�

do you believe it?

wonder how the calls in Benghazi fell thru the cracks $$^^&@@#&&**....theazzhats

,...and the boston marathon incident.

1) no, I dont believe it. I believe they may have run stings or cultivated an event and then busted the "john".

2) It doesnt matter at all what most of us think. what matters is whether enough people in congress think it.

3) Even if they busted one terrorist attack per month, I personally dont think it warrants the takeover of control and privacy we have experienced since fall of 2001.

this.

IMO a multitude of other scandals and "news" events have swept Benghazi off the headlines (where they ever there?) and into the annals of sort-of-history. What happened there is of monumental importance in illustrating who is running US policy. It wasnt and likely will never be dealt with appropriately.

Based on my own experiences behind the wall, I believe the General when he says Snowden is a liar.

I believe there is a War on Terrorists and we have no doubt stopped more than a few since 9/11.

I believe there is no way to stop them all including 9/11.

No way to be right 100 percent of the time when they only have to get it right once.

I believe Gen. Alexander (over some of those asking the questions) when he says his job is to get out the truth to the American people.

The NSA chief, who is also a four-star Army general who oversees the U.S. Cyber Command, said he is pressing to declassify information on how often the information has been useful. �I�m pushing for that,� he said. �We do want to get this right and it has to be vetted across the community so what we give you, you know, is accurate.�

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/nsa-keith-alexander-92669.html#ixzz2W36chTiZ

What do you think he's lying about?

Seems to me that our Intelligence got Benghazi right but Hillary and Obama didn�t listen.

He is likely telling the truth. HE doesn't know how to do it, but that does not mean hundreds of people working under him don't, and when asked to, do.

Sounds like a set up question to me.

Well, you believe that Palin is a RINO hunter, so I suppose...

all this snooping did not do much to prevent those Chechen boys from blowing up Boston.

I thought that after the Boston bombing they said they were going to listen to the calls between the terrorist that was killed and his wife to see if she was involved. I don't know how you could listen to calls that had already taken place unless they were recorded. Am I rembering this wrong or missing something?

Ernie

I think that is because the bombing was meant to justify the snooping?

MORE LIES FROM THESE COMMUNIST LIBERAL LEFT HACKS RUNNING THE SO CALLED SECURITY FOR THIS COUNTRY.

I don't believe they are out there tapping into phone calls randomly. The real issue here is that every email, phone call and text we send, is saved and stored for possible future use. Personally I feel this is violating our constitutional rights.

we've learned early on that fear is the go to move to justify government tyranny.

If it weren't for what we were doing, thousands of Americans would be dead from terrorist attacks.....and tea party groups would be tax exempt.


I think those NSA use a Few Good Men as a morale booster

------

Son, we live in a world that has walls and those walls need to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago and curse the Marines; you have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives and that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use then as the backbone of a life trying to defend something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

fug 'em I hope they all rot in hell, [bleep] the government, [bleep] the politicians, and [bleep] the people who support any of it.

That one little statement is what some politico should have asked that pos. Plus he should have asked for documentation on the other claims and asked to know where they were imprisoned. BS just goes so far when you start asking the tough questions.

Its all recorded on wide band.

Ed Snowden may be a whistle blower doing God�s work, but no way could he tap into the WH without a ton of $hit falling on his head.

Going behind the wall gives you a whole new set of rules to live by. Break those rules and the blue suits show up. I wasn�t there, but a guy I used to work with did that and last I heard he was building pizzas. He and a couple of others thought our photo darkrooms would be a good place to sell dope and do a little porn on the night shift.

Lucky they didn�t go to prison, but my point is that they do watch the watchers and those with access.

Ever statement by this administration has been a lie.

Why should I start believing them now?

I believe nothing without backup.

I�m not believing this administration or Ed Snowden.

I am still waiting to see who got hurt. Waiting for American citizens and their lawsuits of harm done. Where the oversight failed.

And I ain�t believing that Snowden is all that smart.
He claims to be �uncomfortable� living in a country that spies on its own people.

So he moves to China? Maybe on to Russia because he has �shared values� with Putin?

[bleep] caught themselves telling the truth they would lie their way out of it. Prove it.

FUN FACT OF THE DAY: MOSQUE'S ARE OFF-LIMITS TO OBAMA'S SNOOPING...

Since October 2011, mosques have been off-limits to FBI agents. No more surveillance or undercover string operations without high-level approval from a special oversight body at the Justice Department dubbed the Sensitive Operations Review Committee.

http://news.investors.com/ibd-edito...bama-terror-dragnet-excludes-mosques.htm

Who is on that review board? That all star Holder. He will make sure everything is on the up and up.

I left a paragraph out last night.

I am also waiting for the other NSA whistle blowers and for them to go under oath..

These are some of the other names floating around:
Adrienne Kinne
Thomas Drake
Mark Klein
Kirk Wiebe
Ed Loomis
Bill Binney

Gen. Alexander didn't answer the question that was asked. He said that "he" knew of no way to do that. He may be challenged just to turn a computer on. The question was, could an expert in this area do that... CYA?

no

not at all