NEG TERROR DA
Uniqueness
NSA surveillance is protecting American citizens from the ever-prevalent threat of terrorism but transparency is key—public knowledge would directly undermine its success.
Bolton ‘15 [John R. Bolton,4/28/15, American Enterprise Institute, “NSA activities key to terrorism fight”] Accessed Online: 6/29/15
Congress is poised to decide whether to re-authorize programs run by the National Security Agency that assess patterns of domestic and international telephone calls and emails to uncover linkages with known terrorists. These NSA activities, initiated after al-Qaeda’s deadly 9/11 attacks, have played a vital role in protecting America and our citizens around the world from the still-metastasizing terrorist threat. The NSA programs do not involve listening to or reading conversations, but rather seek to detect communications networks. If patterns are found, and more detailed investigation seems warranted, then NSA or other federal authorities, consistent with the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures, must obtain judicial approval for more specific investigations. Indeed, even the collection of the so-called metadata is surrounded by procedural protections to prevent spying on U.S. citizens. Nonetheless, critics from the right and left have attacked the NSA for infringing on the legitimate expectations of privacy Americans enjoy under our Constitution. Unfortunately, many of these critics have absolutely no idea what they are talking about; they are engaging in classic McCarthyite tactics, hoping to score political points with a public justifiably worried about the abuses of power characteristic of the Obama administration. Other critics, following Vietnam-era antipathies to America’s intelligence community, have never reconciled themselves to the need for robust clandestine capabilities. Still others yearn for simpler times, embodying Secretary of State Henry Stimson’s famous comment that “gentlemen don’t read each others’ mail.” The ill-informed nature of the debate has facilitated scare-mongering, with one wild accusation about NSA’s activities after another being launched before the mundane reality catches up. And there is an important asymmetry at work here as well. The critics can say whatever their imaginations conjure up, but NSA and its defenders are significantly limited in how they can respond. By definition, the programs’ success rests on the secrecy fundamental to all intelligence activities. Frequently, therefore, explaining what is not happening could well reveal information about NSA’s methods and capabilities that terrorists and others, in turn, could use to stymie future detection efforts. After six years of President Obama, however, trust in government is in short supply. It is more than a little ironic that Obama finds himself defending the NSA (albeit with obvious hesitancy and discomfort), since his approach to foreign and defense issues has consistently reflected near-total indifference, except when he has no alternative to confronting challenges to our security. Yet if harsh international realities can penetrate even Obama’s White House, that alone is evidence of the seriousness of the threats America faces. In fact, just in the year since Congress last considered the NSA programs, the global terrorist threat has dramatically increased. ISIS is carving out an entirely new state from what used to be Syria and Iraq, which no longer exist within the borders created from the former Ottoman Empire after World War I. In already-chaotic Libya, ISIS has grown rapidly, eclipsing al-Qaeda there and across the region as the largest terrorist threat. Boko Haram is expanding beyond Nigeria, declaring its own caliphate, even while pledging allegiance to ISIS. Yemen has descended into chaos, following Libya’s pattern, and Iran has expanded support for the terrorist Houthi coalition. Afghanistan is likely to fall back under Taliban control if, as Obama continually reaffirms, he withdraws all American troops before the end of 2016. This is not the time to cripple our intelligence-gathering capabilities against the rising terrorist threat. Congress should unquestionably reauthorize the NSA programs, but only for three years. That would take us into a new presidency, hopefully one that inspires more confidence, where a calmer, more sensible debate can take place.
US is making progress in counter-terrorism efforts- global commitment is strong
Shinkman 15
Paul D. Shinkman June 16, 2015 “Pentagon: Al-Qaida Leader’s Death Shows Vigor of U.S. Counterterrorism” Accessed 7/3/15 at
The Department of Defense refuses to acknowledge any part in killing Nasir al-Wahishi in Yemen but insists the death of the commander of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula and likely successor as top leader for the global extremist network proves the U.S. strength in fighting terrorism worldwide, despite its perceived retrenchment and battlefield losses. Reports of al-Wahishi’s death in a suspected drone strike were confirmed by al-Qaida groups Tuesday morning and by the National Security Council at the White House. Tight lips from the Pentagon starkly contrast against news it broadcast the day before of having successfully targeted Islamic extremist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar in Libya. The refusal to offer any further information hints at involvement from the CIA, which has waged a drone warfare campaign in Yemen for years that has been bolstered under President Barack Obama. This latest hit to al-Qaida – considered the most significant since U.S. commandos killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 – also follows a string of what the Pentagon calls “strategic setbacks” to U.S. operations worldwide, such as the retreat by Iraqi partner forces from the key city of Ramadi in the face of an Islamic State group offensive and the U.S. being forced to withdraw all of its special operations ground forces in Yemen amid fighting from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels there. “We still have global reach,” Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren said Tuesday morning. “It’s an important note: Recently we, frankly, have had some well publicized setbacks in Iraq, but it’s important for all of us to keep our eye on the bigger picture, which is that we remain committed to destroying this enemy, and there is nowhere on Earth you can hide if you are a terrorist. We will find you, and we will kill you.” Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has reportedly replaced al-Wahishi with military commander Qasm al-Rimi, also known as Abu Hureira al-Sanaani, according to CNN. Texas-based private intelligence firm Stratfor says many other senior militants within the organization can also ascend to leadership positions. Warren cited “continued momentum” around the key Iraqi town of Baiji, home to a critical oil refinery. He also lauded Kurdish forces’ ability to capture the key town of Tal Abyad near the Turkish border with Syria, which Warren says will help stem the flow of foreign fighters across a porous border toward Islamic State group strongholds like the city of Raqqa. When asked how these supposed victories relate to the latest strike against al-Qaida, which has denounced partnership with the Islamic State group, Warren said there is a higher level, strategic connection. “The U.S. government and our coalition partners are committed to degrading, defeating and ultimately destroying this terrorist threat around the world,” he said, repeating the phrase the White House has used to define its strategy against Islamic extremism. “We are in this fight, and whether this fight is in Iraq, in Syria, in Yemen, in Libya, or in another place, we are in this fight and we are fully capable and fully willing to take actions that are necessary to protect America.” So far this year the U.S. has carried out eight strikes against targets in Yemen, according to The Long War Journal, which tracks these numbers. The strikes have accounted for 40 enemy deaths. While Warren was speaking, the White House released a statement confirming the death of al-Wahishi, which it says “strikes a major blow” to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, considered the network’s most potent branch. The statement did not attribute any cause to his death.
The US is countering threats now by ramping up surveillance
Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz, June 27, 2015, Authorities warn of possible terrorist threats around July 4,
Authorities are warning of possible terrorist threats around the July 4 holiday, several law enforcement officials told CNN on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the National Counterterrorism Center issued a joint intelligence bulletin to law enforcement across the U.S. The bulletin doesn't warn of any known active plots. But it serves as a general warning of heightened threats. It says extremists could launch attacks tied to Independence Day or in reaction to perceived defamation of the Prophet Mohammed. CNN reported in recent weeks that U.S. law enforcement officials believe the Islamist terrorist threat is the highest in years. The officials have raised concern about possible domestic attacks tied to the July 4 holiday and the upcoming visit of Pope Francis. The FBI and the Justice Department's national security division have moved aggressively in recent weeks to arrest and charge extremists thought to be plotting attacks or supporting groups such as ISIS. The FBI has increased its surveillance and monitoring of some suspects.Also on Friday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson issued a statement in response to the attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait, saying in part, "Particularly with the upcoming July 4th holiday here in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI continue to communicate with state and local law enforcement about what we know and see. "We are encouraging all law enforcement to be vigilant and prepared," the statement continued. "We will also adjust security measures, seen and unseen, as necessary to protect the American people."
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Generic Surveillance
Domestic surveillance is key to preventing future terrorist attacks- three reasons
Paul E. McGreal in 2007, Professor of Law, Southern Illinois University School of Law, ESSAY: Counteracting Ambition: Applying Corporate Compliance and Ethics to the Separation of Powers Concerns with Domestic Surveillance, 60 SMU L. Rev. 1571
The intelligence challenge posed by terrorism can be stated rather simply: Predict where and when terrorists are likely to strike so the government can prevent future attacks. As will be discussed in Part III, counterterrorism's preventive focus means that government often starts without individualized suspicion, instead casting a wide intelligence net. This net will inevitably ensnare data of United States citizens for three main reasons. First, due to the nature of modern technology, even communications between individuals outside the United States may pass through and commingle with communications made solely within the United States. 17Link to the text of the note Detection of such foreign communications necessarily requires surveillance of the commingled domestic communications. Second, some foreign terrorists, such as those who perpetrated the 9/11 attacks, plan and attack from within the United States. And third, some terrorist activity will be perpetrated by United States citizens, as was the [1576] attack on the federal courthouse in Oklahoma City. In short, some domestic surveillance is inherent in effective counterterrorism efforts.
Domestic terrorists outnumber foreign threats – as many as 300,000 involved in sovereign citizen extremism
Perez ‘15( Evan Perez and Wes Bruer, 2/20/15, CNN, “DHS intelligence report warns of domestic right-wing terror threat”
Washington (CNN) They're carrying out sporadic terror attacks on police, have threatened attacks on government buildings and reject government authority. A new intelligence assessment, circulated by the Department of Homeland Security this month and reviewed by CNN, focuses on the domestic terror threat from right-wing sovereign citizen extremists and comes as the Obama administration holds a White House conference to focus efforts to fight violent extremists.Some federal and local law enforcement groups view the domestic terror threat from sovereign citizen groups as equal to -- and in some cases greater than -- the threat from foreign Islamic terror groups, such as ISIS, that garner more public attention. The Homeland Security report, produced in coordination with the FBI, counts 24 violent sovereign citizen-related attacks across the U.S. since 2010.ISIS burned up to 40 people alive in Iraq, official says The government says these are extremists who believe that they can ignore laws and that their individual rights are under attack in routine daily instances such as a traffic stop or being required to obey a court order. They've lashed out against authority in incidents such as one in 2012, in which a father and son were accused of engaging in a shootout with police in Louisiana, in a confrontation that began with an officer pulling them over for a traffic violation. Two officers were killed and several others wounded in the confrontation. The men were sovereign citizen extremists who claimed police had no authority over them. Among the findings from the Homeland Security intelligence assessment: "(Sovereign citizen) violence during 2015 will occur most frequently during routine law enforcement encounters at a suspect's home, during enforcement stops and at government offices." DHS has documented examples of violence by sovereign citizen extremists since 2010. They range from incidents that occurred in the home and at traffic stops to attacks on government buildings. The report adds that "law enforcement officers will remain the primary target of (sovereign citizen) violence over the next year due to their role in physically enforcing laws and regulations." The White House has fended off criticism in recent days for its reluctance to say the words "Islamist extremism," even as the conference this week almost entirely focused on helping imams and community groups to counteract the lure of groups like ISIS. Absent from the White House conference is any focus on the domestic terror threat posed by sovereign citizens, militias and other anti-government terrorists that have carried out multiple attacks in recent years. An administration official says the White House is focused on the threat from all terrorists, including from sovereign citizen and other domestic groups. "I don't think it's fair to say the (White House) conference didn't address this at all," the official said, adding that President Barack Obama addressed the need to combat "violent ideologies" of all types. An official at the Justice Department, which is leading the administration's counter-radicalization effort, says many of the tactics aimed at thwarting radical Islamic recruitment of young people can also be used to fight anti-government extremist groups. While groups like ISIS and al Qaeda garner the most attention, for many local cops, the danger is closer to home. A survey last year of state and local law enforcement officers listed sovereign citizen terrorists, ahead of foreign Islamists, and domestic militia groups as the top domestic terror threat. The survey was part of a study produced by the University of Maryland's National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. In 2013, a man who held anti-government views carried out a shooting attack on three Transportation Security Administration employees at Los Angeles International Airport, killing one TSA officer. Last year, a couple killed two police officers and a bystander at a Las Vegas Walmart store.Officers inspect a car outside Los Angeles International Airport in 2013 after three TSA employees were shot. Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that by some estimates, there are as many as 300,000 people involved in some way with sovereign citizen extremism. Perhaps 100,000 people form a core of the movement, he said. The federal government's focus on the domestic groups waxes and wanes, Potok said, in part because the threat from foreign groups like al Qaeda and its affiliates. Potok says sovereign citizen groups have attracted support because of po
or economic conditions. Some groups travel the country pitching their ideology as a way to help homeowners escape foreclosure or get out of debt, by simply ignoring the courts and bankruptcy law. The Homeland Security report's focus on right-wing terrorists is a subject that garnered political controversy for the Obama administration in the past. In 2009, a Homeland Security report on possible recruitment of military veterans by right-wing militia groups prompted an outcry from veterans groups. The report was produced by staff members during the Bush administration but wasn't published until then Homeland Security Janet Napolitano had taken office. Napolitano criticized her own agency for the report.
Surveillance is key to American Safety- No other alternatives are effective
Sanger and Shanker on 10/12/13 (David and Thom, “N.S.A. Director Firmly Defends Surveillance Efforts”, The New York Times,
FORT MEADE, Md. — The director of the National Security Agency, Gen.