"WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence agencies have invested millions of dollars since 9/11 on computer programs that search through financial, communications, travel and other personal records of people in the USA and around the world for connections to terrorism, according to public records and security experts.
The software is designed to find links between terrorism suspects and previously unknown people; track the international flow of money, operatives and materials; and search for clues in the worldwide communications over phone lines, wireless connections and Internet links.
Industry officials, government reports and contracting records do not say specifically how much the CIA and Pentagon have spent to develop, purchase and upgrade such data-mining programs, because that information is classified.
At least five of the data-mining programs were developed under a Pentagon program, called Total Information Awareness (TIA), that Congress disbanded nearly three years ago because of concerns that it threatened personal privacy, according to government records and participants in the projects.
....
Notice the USA Today deflects responsibility for giving up the info:
"USA TODAY discovered the continuing TIA programs through entries in a public database of government contracts and a search of academic papers mentioning those contracts.
Total Information Awareness began months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks as an initiative to build and search massive databases to detect terrorists and prevent attacks. Managed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the initiative sought to involve private companies, universities and researchers.
Directing the program was John Poindexter, a former Navy admiral and national security adviser for President Reagan and a central figure in the Iran-contra scandal of the 1980s."
Ewww, ouch USA Today, "Iran Contra".....?
Subliminal message alert. Sorry Jack, not close. Just because you dug up the programs doesn't mean you have to go and blab 'em, but then you all won't be satisfied until Osam rams another 737 up your rear end.
Fact is the story brings up not one instance of impropiety or wrong doing, but throws the "scary scenerios" in there anyway.
iraq Politics News bush war on terror banking records NSA bill keller ny times Terrorism
Subscribe by Email
Follow Updates Articles from This Blog via Email
No Comments