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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrain rider tweets ex-NSA chief's 'off record' comments
The former National Security Agency chief who oversaw warrantless surveillance learned Thursday that you never know which stranger on a train might be listening and live tweeting your "off the record" bashing of the current administration.
Amtrak passenger Tom Matzzie, a political strategist and former MoveOn activist, captivated Twitter with his series of informative and entertaining tweets revealing what Michael Hayden was telling reporters during several phone interviews aboard an Acela express train that left Washington at 3 p.m. Hayden, a retired four-star general, headed the NSA and the CIA under President George W. Bush.
"Former NSA spy boss Michael Hayden on Acela behind me blabbing 'on background as a former senior admin official' Sounds defensive," Matzzie (@tommatzzie) wrote first.
Follow-up tweets included:
Hayden was bragging about rendition and black sites a minute ago.
On Acela: former NSA spy boss Michael Hayden just ended last of handful of interviews bashing admin.
On Acela listening to former NSA spy boss Michael Hayden give "off record" interviews. I feel like I'm in the NSA. Except I'm in public.
On Acela: Hayden's comments to press were clearly about NSA spying on foreign allies.
On Acela: phone ringing. I think the jig is up. Maybe somebody is telling him I'm here. Do I hide?
New call. I am totally busted I think.
There is a faint smell of sulfur on the train.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/24/former-nsa-chief-overhead-on-amtrak/3183045/
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)I don't normally do this but..
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)Plus the picture of the Moveon guy with Hayden.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/10/24/this-dude-just-eavesdropped-on-former-nsa-director-michael-hayden-and-hes-tweeting-about-it/
bemildred
(90,061 posts)gopiscrap
(23,761 posts)Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)that's above the law and accountability.
Ichingcarpenter
(36,988 posts)Accuses Media of Creating 'Dramatic, Convenient Lie'
NSA Chief Gen. Keith Alexander gave a long interview today with the Pentagons Armed With Science blog, calling on the world to find some way to stop international media outlets from reporting about his agencys surveillance programs based on leaked documents.
We ought to come up with a way of stopping it. I dont know how to do that, Alexander insisted, saying that the ability of media outlets to report on the NSA just doesnt make sense to him.
The focus of Alexanders comments to the military blog was insisting that all media reports on the NSA were a dramatic, convenient lie, followed by an admonition for troops not to give into the hype and to trust the NSA unconditionally.
Alexanders comments during the NSA scandal have mostly been blanket denials, and even after some of those denials have been proven flat out untrue he has stuck to that story. He seems to still be holding out hope that after months of confirmed reports based on official documents, everyone will somehow be convinced to forget about everything and just trust him
http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2013/10/nsa-chief-stop-reporters-selling-spy-documents-175896.html?hp=r2