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June 20, 2013

Senators: Phone Records Played "Little or No Role" in Foiling Plots 
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Democratic Senators Mark Udall of Colorado and Ron Wyden of Oregon
continue to question the role of NSA surveillance programs in foiling
militant plots in the United States and overseas. Top intelligence
officials told Congress this week the NSA has helped thwart 50
"potential terrorist events," including 10 within the United States. But
in a statement on Wednesday, Wyden and Udall took specific issue with
the claims that the mass collection of telephone records played a role.
They said: "It appears that the bulk phone records collection program
under section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act played little or no role in
most of these disruptions. Saying that these programs have disrupted
'dozens of potential terrorist plots' is misleading if the bulk phone
records collection program is actually providing little or no unique
value."

 

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