NSA chief defends surveillance, says helped prevent terror plots more than 50 times since 9/11 Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/18/nsa-chief-defends-surveillance-says-helped-prevent-terror-more-than-50-times/?test=latestnews#ixzz2WcuJmqD8

News By (http://www.foxnews.com)The National Security Agency and
Justice Department mounted a vigorous defense of the government's
controversial surveillance efforts on Tuesday, with NSA chief Gen.
Keith Alexander claiming they have helped prevent "potential terrorist
events" over 50 times since 9/11.
Officials insisted the programs protect Americans from unwarranted
intrusion, as they began to shed light on the scope of the secretive
effort in a rare public hearing.
Disclosing new details, a top FBI official claimed the surveillance
efforts helped disrupt a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange. FBI
Deputy Director Sean Joyce said NSA officials discovered the scheme
while monitoring a known extremist in Yemen, who was in contact with
an individual in the U.S. After initiating surveillance, Joyce said,
they were able to detect "nascent plotting" to bomb the stock exchange
and ultimately disrupt the plot.
Joyce also discussed another case in which the NSA used the program to
tip off the FBI about an individual's "indirect contacts" with
terrorists overseas. This "terrorist activity" was disrupted as well,
he said, without going into detail.
The administration had not previously discussed those two cases. Joyce
also confirmed prior claims that the program helped detect information
about the 2009 plot to bomb the New York subway system and a plot
involving a Chicago resident to bomb a Danish newspaper.
It's unclear whether authorities might have been able to disrupt these
plots without the help of the phone- and Internet-record collection
programs. But Alexander staunchly defended those programs against
mounting criticism, pushing back after a string of reports based on
leaks of classified information raised widespread privacy concerns.
Alexander, speaking before the House intelligence committee, said the
programs "have protected the U.S. and our allies from terrorist
threats across the globe," pointing to the intelligence community's
ability to better connect the dots as a reason why there hasn't been
another 9/11-style attack.
Specifically, he said they helped prevent terror "events" more than 50
times in more than 20 countries since 2001. Alexander said he plans to
provide details on all the cases to lawmakers in a classified setting
on Wednesday.
The session involving two of Washington's most secretive bodies comes
as an NSA leaker, former contractor Edward Snowden, threatens to
reveal more government secrets from his hiding spot in Hong Kong.
Alexander has already gone to Capitol Hill several times since Snowden
revealed details earlier this month about the government programs to
discuss the agency's budget and meet privately with congressional
members. But Tuesday's meeting marked the first time Alexander has
spoken publicly about the agency-led surveillance programs.
Some lawmakers, and many civil liberties groups, have complained that
these programs have given the government too much power to monitor
people around the world.
Alexander, though, said the program "does not compromise" privacy and
civil liberties.
Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., echoed the comments, claiming
incomplete information has been leaked that creates an "inaccurate
picture" of the program.
Deputy Attorney General James Cole tried to offer a point-by-point
rebuttal of the criticism. He stressed that authorities, when they
gather phone records, cannot immediately find out the identity or
location of the callers. Further, he said "we don't listen in on
anybody's calls."
He said only certain people have access to the information, while
saying the so-called toll records are not protected by the Fourth
Amendment. He said the courts have found people cannot have a
reasonable expectation of privacy as to who and when they call.
Further, he said authorities can only target people who are non-U.S.
citizens and non-permanent residents, and those who are overseas.
The meeting comes one day after Snowden, the former NSA contractor who
gave the classified documents to journalists, conducted an online chat
for The Guardian in which the self-proclaimed whistleblower wrote:
"Truth is coming and it cannot be stopped."
Among the most pressing questions now are which programs and how many
of them either compile phone or email records or allow analysts to
eavesdrop on conversations or read electronic messages.
Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday the leaks were "extremely
damaging" and vowed that the person responsible would be held
accountable.
However, he did not mention Snowden by name or say formal charges have
been filed, saying only that the case is under investigation.
President Obama said in an interview with PBS that the case has been
referred to the Justice Department for investigation and "possible
extradition."


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