HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019790.jpg
1.65 MB
Extraction Summary
3
People
7
Organizations
2
Locations
2
Events
1
Relationships
2
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Book page / congressional document production
File Size:
1.65 MB
Summary
This document appears to be page 302 from the book 'How America Lost Its Secrets' (likely by author Edward Jay Epstein, indicated by the filename prefix 'Epst'), stamped with 'HOUSE_OVERSIGHT'. The text analyzes the damage caused by Edward Snowden's 2013 intelligence leaks, specifically regarding the NSA's PRISM program and Department of Defense operations. It features quotes from Booz Allen Hamilton Vice-Chairman Michael McConnell stating that Snowden compromised more capability than any spy in U.S. history.
People (3)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Snowden | Subject |
Former contractor accused of compromising secret sources, methods, and the PRISM program.
|
| Barack Obama | President |
Received intelligence advantages from 2008-2013 which were nullified by Snowden.
|
| Michael McConnell | Vice-chairman |
Executive at Booz Allen Hamilton; quoted regarding the severity of the intelligence loss.
|
Organizations (7)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| The New York Times |
Newspaper that published leaked technology details.
|
|
| Department of Defense |
Conducted a year-long investigation into the compromised sources.
|
|
| Booz Allen Hamilton |
Company that employed Snowden at the time of the breach.
|
|
| NSA |
National Security Agency; deprived of PRISM program effectiveness.
|
|
| The Guardian |
Newspaper that published articles at Snowden's behest.
|
|
| The Washington Post |
Newspaper that published articles explaining how PRISM worked.
|
|
| Congress |
Body that authorized the compromised system.
|
Timeline (2 events)
2013
Snowden deliberately nullified intelligence advantages by revealing technology.
Global
Post-2013
Department of Defense investigation into compromised sources (tens of thousands of man-hours).
USA
Relationships (1)
McConnell, the vice-chairman of the company for which Snowden had worked at the time of the breach.
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,435 characters)
302 | HOW AMERICA LOST ITS SECRETS
even though they had been isolated from any network. This innova-
tion had provided President Obama and his national security team
an edge of which our adversaries were unaware from 2008 to 2013.
However, Snowden deliberately nullified this advantage in 2013 by
revealing this technology (which was published in The New York
Times and other newspapers). The vast number of documents that
he compromised contained many other secret sources and methods.
tion had provided President Obama and his national security team
an edge of which our adversaries were unaware from 2008 to 2013.
However, Snowden deliberately nullified this advantage in 2013 by
revealing this technology (which was published in The New York
Times and other newspapers). The vast number of documents that
he compromised contained many other secret sources and methods.
The full extent of the damage Snowden did may never be fully
known, even though the Department of Defense spent the better
part of a year, and tens of thousands of investigative man-hours,
trying to sort out just the compromised sources and methods per-
taining to military and cyber-defense operations. In addition to the
direct and significant cost to taxpayers represented by this investiga-
tion, one measure of how serious the loss has been was revealed by
Michael McConnell, the vice-chairman of the company for which
Snowden had worked at the time of the breach. McConnell stated
publicly, "Snowden has compromised more capability than any spy
in U.S. history." McConnell had no obvious reason to exaggerate the
loss because his company, Booz Allen Hamilton, was partly respon-
sible for the damage. It hired Snowden, as will be recalled, even after
its vetters had detected an untruthful statement in his application.
McConnell said, "This will have impact on our ability to do our
mission for the next twenty to thirty years." By any measure, two
decades of lost intelligence is a steep price to pay.
known, even though the Department of Defense spent the better
part of a year, and tens of thousands of investigative man-hours,
trying to sort out just the compromised sources and methods per-
taining to military and cyber-defense operations. In addition to the
direct and significant cost to taxpayers represented by this investiga-
tion, one measure of how serious the loss has been was revealed by
Michael McConnell, the vice-chairman of the company for which
Snowden had worked at the time of the breach. McConnell stated
publicly, "Snowden has compromised more capability than any spy
in U.S. history." McConnell had no obvious reason to exaggerate the
loss because his company, Booz Allen Hamilton, was partly respon-
sible for the damage. It hired Snowden, as will be recalled, even after
its vetters had detected an untruthful statement in his application.
McConnell said, "This will have impact on our ability to do our
mission for the next twenty to thirty years." By any measure, two
decades of lost intelligence is a steep price to pay.
To be sure, the practical value of peacetime intelligence about
the activities of adversary states is not always evident. What is far
clearer to the public is the value of intelligence that can thwart ter-
rorist attacks against subways, theaters, and other civilian targets.
We have seen that Snowden also deprived the NSA of much of the
effectiveness of its PRISM program by revealing it, through the arti-
cles published at his specific behest in The Guardian and The Wash-
ington Post that explained how it worked. This single revelation
compromised a system, duly authorized by Congress and the presi-
dent, that had been the government's single most effective tool for
learning in advance about attacks in America and Europe by jihadist
terrorists.
the activities of adversary states is not always evident. What is far
clearer to the public is the value of intelligence that can thwart ter-
rorist attacks against subways, theaters, and other civilian targets.
We have seen that Snowden also deprived the NSA of much of the
effectiveness of its PRISM program by revealing it, through the arti-
cles published at his specific behest in The Guardian and The Wash-
ington Post that explained how it worked. This single revelation
compromised a system, duly authorized by Congress and the presi-
dent, that had been the government's single most effective tool for
learning in advance about attacks in America and Europe by jihadist
terrorists.
Epst_9780451494566_2p_all_r1.indd 302 9/30/16 8:13 AM
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019790
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019790
Discussion 0
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this epstein document