On Jan 23, 2006, Gen. Hayden explained the mission, the responsibilities, of the NSA in an address to the National Press Club. He explained how the terrorist surveillance program was NOT domestic spying vis—a—vis hostile, misleading headlines & stories in the antique media.  Now that this issue has been resurrected, it might be a good idea to revisit Gen. Hayden's remarks.  Here is an excerpt: The president's authorization allows us to track this kind of call more comprehensively and more efficiently. The trigger is quicker and a bit softer than it is for a FISA warrant, but the intrusion into privacy is also limited: only international calls and only those we have a reasonable basis to believe involve al Qaeda or one of its affiliates. The purpose of all this is not to collect reams of intelligence, but to detect and prevent attacks. The intelligence community has neither the time, the resources nor the legal authority to read communications that aren't...(Read Full Post)