NSA phone record database

[dustin]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm

The headline should read. NSA screens for terrorism calls using American phone records.

As stated by USA Today, in the 2nd sentence of the second paragraph of the article....

This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity

I'm sure this whole "story" ties in to the push against appointing the former head of the NSA, General Hayden, head of the CIA...

 

[vraiblonde]

So what? They made a big story out of this on WTOP this morning, and I was like...

If you don't make calls to terrorists, you won't have any problem. :shrug:

 

[willie]

I am totally and enthusiastically in favor of warrant-less monitoring the incoming calls from known bad people but this is pushing the limit. Bush is turning into a complete idiot, giving the ports to the arabs, screwing the minutemen and now logging how often I call Charley's wife. He has become the Republican Party's biggest enemy. I can't figure out if he is brain dead, stupid or a democrat mole.

 

[vraiblonde]

I am totally and enthusiastically in favor of warrant-less monitoring the incoming calls from known bad people but this is pushing the limit.

All they're doing is flagging phone calls that go to suspected terrorists and calls that go to terrorist countries. I doubt they care if you call Charley's wife, unless she's related to Osama bin Laden. What's the big deal?

 

[Mikeinsmd]

They're just trying to learn what's going on in: "Exclaim the Point ".

 

[willie]

All they're doing is flagging phone calls that go to suspected terrorists and calls that go to terrorist countries. I doubt they care if you call Charley's wife, unless she's related to Osama bin Laden. What's the big deal?

This is going beyond that. Who decides who gets logged? This is the very reason warrants were created in the first place. How would you feel if your husband/wife snuck a peek into your caller ID everyday? Not much indication of trust, I would conclude. Two face George is going to hand the country to the dems. You people that are going to waste your vote on Newt better wake up. We all better get behind someone that is electable because George is pushing the fence sitters over to the dark side.

 

[Ken King]

Who decides who gets logged?

The phone companies, that's who. And they are giving them freely for the data base. It isn't a tapping or anything just American telecommunications corporations helping the government. I think Quest opted out of doing it but the others are assisting.

 

[willie]

The phone companies, that's who. And they are giving them freely for the data base. It isn't a tapping or anything just American telecommunications corporations helping the government. I think Quest opted out of doing it but the others are assisting.

uh oh....Charley works for Verizon.

 

[Penn]

I may be all wrong on this, but my guess is that throughout the last 4 or 5 years, our military folks have been capturing untold numbers of terrorist cell phone numbers, and documents revealing contacts abroad, ie., right here in the USA. You see and hear about munitions and terrorists being captured over in Iraq, , but every once in a while they report on captured phone records there - being collected as well.

If the NSA can associate these phone numbers, and with whom they're making contact with, then that's a hell of a advantage - to be used to stop further attacks in our homeland before they occur.

That is what I think is going on, and it's a darn good thing they are doing it too.

Since 9/11, we have not been attacked successfully, as far as I know, and while some folks may crow to high heaven about their rights, they should also thank G.W. Bush for it too. JMHO

 

[vraiblonde]

The phone companies, that's who.

See, that's what I don't understand when people get all kirked out over being "spied on". Practically everything you do is in a database somewhere. SMECO can see how much electricity you've used, Verizon can track your phone calls. your ISP can see what websites you visit.

Who cares if the government knows, too? It's not like it's some big secret.

 

[Penn]

Just to highlight one of your posts....

All they're doing is flagging phone calls that go to suspected terrorists and calls that go to terrorist countries. I doubt they care if you call Charley's wife, unless she's related to Osama bin Laden. What's the big deal?

Unless you've been in contact with terrorists, or are contemplating a crime, making arrangements to that effect, who the heck cares?

The MSM would like you to believe that your phone conversations are in fact being monitored - what you say to Charley's wife, etc.

That is not the case from what I have been reading.

Maybe it's been mentioned before, but isn't it just a bit coincidental that Gen. Hayden will be going before Congress for his appointment approval to head the CIA?

Did the liberal lefties not consider this? Say it ain't so!

 

[vraiblonde]

That is not the case from what I have been reading.

Can you imagine the personnel that would take? Everybody always thinks the feds give a crap about their personal business, like they have these oh-so unique and interesting conversations that the FBI would be just interested as hell in.

 

[Penn]

Can you imagine the personnel that would take? Everybody always thinks the feds give a crap about their personal business, like they have these oh-so unique and interesting conversations that the FBI would be just interested as hell in.

I saw the segment on Fox tonight, and if you can believe the documents from the phone companies already mentioned in this thread, what they indicated were phone numbers and cities - not names of those individuals.

Sure, you can get a name from the phone company, identifying a certain phone number, I suppose, but it looks like the NSA is trying to identify known terrorist cell numbers from which these calls are coming from.

One of the things that baffles me is that there ARE certain members of Congress that apparently have been fully briefed on these practices - both from the liberal side and the conservative side.

Why aren't these people telling their fellow members to chill, cool off, we know about this practice, and we are well aware of it?

Secondly, don't the idiots at USA Today know they are revealing bits and segments of our intelligence gathering, thereby tipping off our terrorist enemies?

Is that so hard to figure out?

 

[Bruzilla]

Police have been doing this for years. I remember my Dad running sweeps for the PSP back in the 1970s when they requested them. Any law enforcement agency can request phone records for any period of time, for any number or numbers, for any reason. They need a warrant to tap and listen to the calls, but there's no privacy attached to records of who's calling who. Once you pick up the phone, the record of what you do on that phone becomes the property of the phone company and they can pretty much do whatever they want with it since they are public utilities.

This is just Liberals trying to stir the pot. Next they'll be breaking the news that there's pig snouts and balls in hotdogs.

 

[vraiblonde]

Secondly, don't the idiots at USA Today know they are revealing bits and segments of our intelligence gathering, thereby tipping off our terrorist enemies?

Well, they were discussing that very thing on Fox yesterday. It must be a prosecutable offense (not like anyone will actually be prosecuted for it, though) because the conservative lawyers were adament that this was a severe security breach, and the liberal lawyers danced a bit and didn't really come right out and say it wasn't - they moved away from that and said that George Bush was spying on American citizens.

 

[dustin]

Rush said this afternoon that the story is months old and was originally run back on dec 05 in the NYtimes.

so obviously this is just pot stirring...drive-by media indeed...

 

[willie]

Rush said this afternoon that the story is months old and was originally run back on dec 05 in the NYtimes.

so obviously this is just pot stirring...drive-by media indeed...

Totally true. The original leaker and the current pot stirrer should be crucified. However.....IMHO it is beyond what we should expect of trading our privacy and USA security. Regardless what Bush says, it is data mining. Exactly how is it going to root up terrorist already in our country? The job of sorting through this amount of data is so enormous it will impossible. It's desperation. Confused politicians in panic mode. If they scan for key words, they can't use "bombed" or there goes the Tiki Bar. It has already been reported that we don't have enough translators. If I thought it could truly be a benefit.....go for it but it's a huge waste of resources. Use the money for a few more miles of the Great Mexican Wall.

 

[ylexot]

Totally true. The original leaker and the current pot stirrer should be crucified. However.....IMHO it is beyond what we should expect of trading our privacy and USA security. Regardless what Bush says, it is data mining. Exactly how is it going to root up terrorist already in our country? The job of sorting through this amount of data is so enormous it will impossible. It's desperation. Confused politicians in panic mode. If they scan for key words, they can't use "bombed" or there goes the Tiki Bar. It has already been reported that we don't have enough translators. If I thought it could truly be a benefit.....go for it but it's a huge waste of resources. Use the money for a few more miles of the Great Mexican Wall.

I don't think you have a clue as to what this is about. These records are available to anyone (including you or I). As was mentioned before, all the records contain are phone number W called phone number X at Y time and it lasted Z minutes. They are looking for patterns in the calls (a computer does it...takes very few resources). For example, suspected terrorist phone number X calls phone number Y. Phone number Y then calls phone numbers A, B, C, D, and E...you've just found a suspected terror cell! Now you know who to focus your resources on.

 

[Penn]

I don't think you have a clue as to what this is about. These records are available to anyone (including you or I). As was mentioned before, all the records contain are phone number W called phone number X at Y time and it lasted Z minutes. They are looking for patterns in the calls (a computer does it...takes very few resources). For example, suspected terrorist phone number X calls phone number Y. Phone number Y then calls phone numbers A, B, C, D, and E...you've just found a suspected terror cell! Now you know who to focus your resources on.

That's totally understandable.

So how is it that the newsies and a few congressional lefties can't seem to grasp it?

Dumb shaitts! They just told the terrorists how we can use a series of phone dialings to get a sense of a pattern - to whom and where - these call are going.

Question: Do you feel any safer with these dumb clucks revealing information they don't understand to our enemies, so they can switch their tactics?

 

[willie]

I don't think you have a clue as to what this is about. These records are available to anyone (including you or I). As was mentioned before, all the records contain are phone number W called phone number X at Y time and it lasted Z minutes. They are looking for patterns in the calls (a computer does it...takes very few resources). For example, suspected terrorist phone number X calls phone number Y. Phone number Y then calls phone numbers A, B, C, D, and E...you've just found a suspected terror cell! Now you know who to focus your resources on.

Speaking of not having a clue.....your example :
For example, suspected terrorist phone number X calls phone number Y.
A suspected terrorist is not a requirement for this data mining. If it were, there would be no argument from me. Go find yourself another clue.