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NSA Failure

Decent Essays

The National Security Agency (NSA) holds the responsibility of collecting, monitoring, and analyzing information from foreign sources. This intelligence organization, along with the CIA and FBI, work together to obtain knowledge regarding terrorist movement in the War on Terror. The attacks on September 11, 2001 drove the NSA to recognize the faults in their surveillance efficiency. However, lack of information was not the reason why the NSA unsuccessfully detected the attacks. The National Security Agency failed in stopping the attacks, even though they were capable of using the best technology, determining the whereabouts of the hijackers, and sharing the information with people who could have helped.

As a government organization, the National Security Agency had access to the most advance technology at the …show more content…

The CIA built their own ground station to intercept calls and help with the surveillance of Al Qaeda, but without a satellite, they only heard half the conversation. When the Central Intelligence Agency asked the NSA for the other half, they declined. A major concern at the NSA was FISA, or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It was believed that if they shared information, they would be breaking the law, however the issue was not the legal barriers (Schneier), but the individuals that did not understand the legal barriers did not apply in their scenario. Lastly, when the NSA feared a terrorist attack in the United States, they wanted to tell the FBI, however the CIA prohibited them from sharing the information (Gold). The Federal Bureau of Investigation were the only ones who could have set an alert to stop the terrorists, therefore this refusal to share information was a crucial detail (“Spy Factory”). Over all, the NSA could have avoided 9/11 if they had only shared their information with other intelligence

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