NSA's Talking Points About Snowden Classified as Secrets

Apparently releasing their spin would cause "grave danger to national security."

Once Edward Snowden began leaking classified documents, National Security Agency officials knew that they'd be forced to respond. They began developing talking points. By their own account, the attempt spread across 156 pages of records. Or so the NSA told Jason Leopold, a transparency activist who wants to see them. The NSA has now officially refused his Freedom of Information Act request, using a number of legal arguments. Can you guess which one bothers me?

Here they are, via Leopold:

… the NSA classified all of the records as "top secret" under a FOIA exemption established by presidential executive order and determined that "their disclosure reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave danger to the national security."

"This agency is also authorized by various statutes to protect certain information concerning its activities," states a January 23 letter signed by NSA FOIA chief Pamela Phillips. "We have determined that such information exists in these documents."

Comments

[Sevo]

I call ONION! Can't be real.

[Brendan]

I just realized how the NSA/FBI abuses have pushed the CIA completely out of the discussion.

What have they been up to while this was going on?

[Rasilio]

Isn't the whole point of talking points to disseminate them?

[IT]

Not when all Americans are under double secret probation.

[Agile Cyborg]

An exceptionally grave danger to the national security is the unaccountable and inexplicable NSA. Snowden will forever remain a historical figure of import while the NSA will always be viewed with a measure of contempt.

Interesting how the world's greatest test of liberty is fading into a shadowy and malevolent world of nasty faceless acronyms.

[Will Nonya]

Thats unlikely to be true. It's much more likely that our children will be taught how the NSA protects them, taught nothing of Snowden and trained to report any seditious comments made by their parents.

[Westmiller]

Although I haven't seen any US coverage, al Jazeera acquired the primary NSA "Talking Points" under FOIA release last month:

TO BE CLEAR, UNDER FISA, IN ORDER TO TARGET the CONTENT Of A U.S.

PERSON's COMMUNICATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, NSA REQUIRES A

FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE UNDER A SPECIFIC COURT ORDER

...

? THESE CAPABILITIES WERE APPROVED BY THE ADMINISTRATION, CONGRESS

AND THE FISA COURT; All THREE BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT.

? AND WITH THESE EXCEPTIONAL AUTHORITIES CAME SIGNIFICANT OVERSIGHT

FROM All THREE BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT. ...

ON 21 JUNE, WE PROVIDED OVER 50 CASES TO BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE

INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES THAT SHOW THE CONTRIBUTION OF OUR

UNDERSTANDING AND IN MANY CASES DISRUPTION OF TERRORIST PLOTS IN

THE US AND IN OVER 20 COUNTRIES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

? WHAT THAT TRANSLATES TO IS SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION ON ONGOING

TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WITH NO WILLFUL VIOLATIONS OF OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES

AND PRIVACY. 50+ TO ZERO.

? THESE PROGRAMS HAVE HELPED US CONNECT THE DOTS.

? AND THE STATISTICS HIGHLIGHT THAT NSA IS COMMITTED TO PROTECTING

AND UPHOLDING THE PRIVACY AND CIVIL LIBERTIES OF THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE

...

http://tinyurl.com/k9d82fy