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Justin Elliott<\/strong> In defending the NSA\u2019s sweeping collection of Americans\u2019 phone call records, Obama administration officials have repeatedly pointed out how it could have helped thwart the 9\/11 attacks: If only the surveillance program been in place before Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. authorities would have been able to identify one of the future hijackers who was living in San Diego.<\/p>\n Last weekend, former Vice President Dick Cheney invoked the same argument.<\/p>\n It is impossible to know for certain whether screening phone records would have stopped the attacks \u2013 the program didn\u2019t exist at the time. It\u2019s also not clear whether the program would have given the NSA abilities it didn\u2019t already possess with respect to the case. Details of the current program and as well as NSA\u2019s role in intelligence gathering around the 9\/11 plots remain secret. <\/p>\n Read more<\/a><\/p>\n <!– <\/p>\n –><\/p>\n This article was posted: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 2:50 pm<\/p>\n Tags: 9\/11<\/a>, constitution<\/a>, domestic spying<\/a><\/p>\n
propublica.org<\/a>
June 21, 2013,<\/p>\n
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