Harman and the NSA

Th New York Times, April 15

The Justice Department has for more than two years been investigating aspects of the N.S.A.’s wiretapping program.

As part of that investigation, a senior F.B.I. agent recently came forward with what the inspector general’s office described as accusations of “significant misconduct” in the surveillance program, people with knowledge of the investigation said. Those accusations are said to involve whether the N.S.A. made Americans targets in eavesdropping operations based on insufficient evidence tying them to terrorism.

The CQ Harman story, I submit, is not about Jane Harman. It's about the NSA protecting its turf.

Add this the even larger debate about whether the NSA should be in charge of domestic cyber securtity, including of private organizations.

The legal and operational problems surrounding the N.S.A.’s surveillance activities have come under scrutiny from the Obama administration, Congressional intelligence committees and a secret national security court, said the intelligence officials, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because N.S.A. activities are classified. Classified government briefings have been held in recent weeks in response to a brewing controversy that some officials worry could damage the credibility of legitimate intelligence-gathering efforts.

So the NSA is being investigated by:

1. The Bush DOJ
2. The Obama DOJ
3. Congress
4. The FISA Court

Is it possible that the NSA is sending a message to all of the above?