Infosecurity – As the US president prepares his response to the independent task force investigation into the NSA surveillance programs, a new report from the New America Foundation analyzes the actual effect of surveillance on 225 terrorism-related arrests since 9/11 and finds it to be minimal.
President Obama is due to announce his proposals following publication of the task force recommendations on the NSA surveillance programs this Friday. He is expected to modify but not materially reduce the programs. “As the president finalizes plans for a speech on Friday announcing his proposals to change intelligence operations and oversight,” reported the LA Times yesterday, “the widespread agreement at the most senior levels of the White House about the program’s value appears to be driving policy. As a result, the administration seems likely to modify, but not stop, the gathering of billions of phone call logs.”
