Focus on National Security Surveillance is a Domestic and International Terrorism Warning

Innocent Americans and unsuspecting people everywhere are living in a world ravaged by the threat of terrorism, both domestic  religious, political, and whatever else fanatics have in mind. Realistically, there will never be enough money, combatants, military equipment or espionage to prevent all terrorists from executing their evil intentions. 

Maybe, it's in the best interest of innocent people everywhere, to reveal the extent of electronic communications surveillance currently debated in the media and by politicians who are acting "shocked-shocked" about such tactics.  Yet, by telling terrorist enemies about the intensity of electronic surveillance,  it's possible we can drive these heinous activities underground faster than drones or infiltration.  

Perhaps, the best defense against seditious plots could be lifting the veil on how clandestine communications are monitored.  

Here's the fact:  terrorists who use electronic communications to build networks and make plans for violence will find their systems bugged and their conspirators will be revealed.  Eventually, they will be caught in their own cyber optic web. 

Meanwhile, the frenzy over the National Security Administration's surveillance tactics are put in perspective in a Mother Jones article.  In "The Domestic Surveillance Boom, From Bush to Obama", writers Dave Gilson, Alex Park and AJ Vicens report how the NSA has been vacuuming up millions of Americans' phone data, online communications and files and credit card transaction details. This surveillance began with the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and when President George Bush signed the controversial Patriot Act.  Those outraged by the sweeping impact of security surveillance should certainly have anticipated the impact when the Patriot Act was passed.  

Critics of surveillance need to be repeatedly reminded about what happened to our nation on September 11, 2001. 

2001	September 11: Nearly 3,000 people are killed when terrorists fly planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and crash another in Pennsylvania. Soon afterward, the NSA begins a "special collection program"to track the communications of Al Qaeda leaders and suspected terrorists.

 

Sadly, the earth will never be free of terrorism.  Yet, those who plan and execute deadly attacks against innocent civilians will leave an electronic footprint and, therefore, will be defeated by surveillance,  using their own devious communications against them. A tired cliche, but, it's the "new normal".