[42119] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: Don't blame Intelligence or Security Agencies.....
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dean Robb)
Thu Sep 13 15:40:10 2001
Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.1.20010913150633.049ea710@198.68.200.17>
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 15:11:28 -0400
To: nanog@merit.edu
From: Dean Robb <Dean@PC-Easy-va.com>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.33.0109122223131.11786-100000@sashimi.space4ren
t.com>
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At 01:25 AM 9/13/2001, you wrote:
> > The intelligence agencies in the United States are the best in the world.
> >
> > Get your shit straight!
> >
> > ~ Clarke ~
>
>If our 'best' had no hint that what happened yesterday was going to occur,
>then perhaps the statement above is wrong. (Either way(if they knew, or not)
>expect changes, and more money for them.)
Unfair. I've heard lots and lots of people screaming "intelligence
failure" and "why didn't we know about this?". It's actually pretty damn
simple - bin Laden (or whomever) wasn't talking about his plans on his cell
phone.
Like...duh.
One cannot intercept communications that don't take place. Wanna defeat
the NSA? Write your message on a piece of paper and mail it.
All the gurus ascribe the attack to intelligent, capable, well-trained
terrorists - why should we think they'd be stupid enough to talk in the
clear about their plans? It's not like NSA's comm intercept capabilities
are a dark secret.
If you don't have people sitting in the inner circles (and terrorist
leaders tend to be very clannish folks - if you ain't family, you ain't in)
and the bad guys aren't blabbing all into their telephones - how can you
learn about their plans?
Dean Robb
www.PC-Easy-va.com
On-site computer services
Member, ICANN At Large
