Cato research proposes U.S. go to submarine-only nuclear delivery system

15 October 2013 UPI.com
WASHINGTON — The U.S. nuclear weapon triad system — bombers, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles — wastes billions of dollars and could be streamlined to just one delivery system, according to research released Tuesday by the libertarian Cato Institute. The research recommended cutting bombers and land-based missiles for nuclear weapons, saying submarines ...

NSA metadata system’s constitutional debate not black and white

08 October 2013 UPI.com
WASHINGTON — On Capitol Hill, the debate over the constitutionality of the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records rages on. Despite the recent declassification of a top-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ruling from Aug. 29 that decided that the metadata system is constitutional, the Senate Judiciary Committee called in legal experts to ...

Senators up in arms about percentage of intelligence employees furloughed

03 October 2013 UPI.com
WASHINGTON — National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander and James Clapper told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that 70 percent of intelligence employees have been furloughed since the federal government shutdown began two days ago, shocking the committee. “You scared the hell out of all of us,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “For our Republican ...

NSA’s ‘sophisticated graphs’ targeting Americans inaccurate: Gen. Alexander

02 October 2013 UPI.com
WASHINGTON — National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that the NSA is not using its vast databases to create profiles of Americans’ locations, friends and other personal information. A weekend New York Times article reporting that the NSA is “exploiting its huge collection of data to create sophisticated ...

Think tankers call for more transparency of NSA’s metadata monopoly

01 October 2013 UPI.com
WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency’s giant database of Americans’ phone and e-mail records remains at the forefront of a national conversation for everyday citizens, government leaders and think tank experts alike. At least three of these experts, who have been on the inside and outside of intelligence operations, agree that recently proposed changes to ...

NSA mass collection system center stage for Senate Intelligence Committee

30 September 2013 UPI.com
WASHINGTON – National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander again defended the agency’s extensive metadata program that has collected phone records of countless Americans Thursday, telling the Senate Intelligence Committee that NSA analysts are as concerned about privacy and civil liberties issues as other Americans. The committee appeared likely to recommend limits on the program. Chairwoman ...