FC: Wayne Madsen replies to New Yorker article on NSA

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

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From: WMadsen777 () aol com
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Date: Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:22:51 EST
Subject: Re: FC: New Yorker article on how NSA surveillance is ineffective
To: declan () well com
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Declan:

Never let it be said that I defend the NSA (for whom I once worked). But 
there is some truth to what General Hayden has said. There are many old line 
high-freak radio people at the Agency who can't seem to understand computer 
and network-oriented digital communications. This includes Barbara McNamara, 
an old line radio frequency type. Hayden concedes the war on encryption 
proliferation is yesterday's news. It is most likely the civilians at NSA 
that are pushing these ridiculous export controls (even the so-called revised 
controls already leaked to the media show that these old-timers want 
extraordinary access to foreign business dealings).

I never spoke for our universal disarmament on signals intelligence 
operations, but some people who never worked inside Ft Meade are hyping stuff 
about ECHELON and other similar things. These capabilities all exist, but the 
AREA 51 types are latching onto the Barr/Burton hearings and may do great 
harm to their legitimacy. After all, these are the first potentially 
legitimate hearings on the abuses of NSA/CIA, etc. since the Church, Pike, 
and Abzug hearings of the 70s.

Sy Hersh has had extraordinary access to DIRNSA. Hayden is crying out for 
help against those who pushed for such nonsense as Clipper and other things. 
I'm not sure he is as bad as the McNamaras, David Aarons, Stew Bakers, and 
George Tenets, none of whom have any earthly idea about the difficulties in 
maintaining an intelligence capability without looking like an intrusive 
fascist-type organization.



ciao, 

Wayne



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