Chief NSA Lawyer Hints That NSA May Be Tracking US Citizens 213
itwbennett writes "Responding to questions from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence yesterday, Matthew Olsen, the NSA's general counsel, said that the NSA 'may', under 'certain circumstances' have the authority to track U.S. citizens by intercepting location data from cell phones, but it's 'very complicated.' 'There's no need to panic, or start shopping for aluminum-foil headwear,' says blogger Kevin Fogarty, but clearly the NSA has been thinking about it enough 'that the agency's chief lawyer was able to speak intelligently about it off the cuff while interviewing for a different job.'"
During the hearing . . . (Score:5, Funny)
. . . Fox News correspondents were seen sweating, nervously adjusting their collars, and making "SHHHH!" gestures to Mr. Olsen.
"Certain circumstances" (Score:4, Funny)
Those being "Whenever the hell we feel like it."
Gambling in Casablanca! (Score:5, Funny)
I am shocked! SHOCKED!
Re:Very complicated (Score:5, Funny)
"Very complicated", referring of course to the process of determining whether your political leanings are threatening or not to the government in power.
No, remember this is a Senate committee. "Very complicated" is anything more advanced than a fork.
Re:Very complicated (Score:5, Funny)
I think it was a Terry Pratchett reference: "He realized that not only was he not the sharpest knife in the drawer, he might even be a spoon".
Re:Very complicated (Score:4, Funny)
Can't happen. The GOP cut funding for socialist utensils in the last budget.