In defending the NSA’s sweeping collection of Americans’ 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
Fact-Checking The Feds: Could The NSA’s Metadata Dragnet Have Prevented 9/11?
Those making the argument have ignored a key aspect of historical record.