The Cost Of Doing Business
The BBC report, Saab wins $4.5bn Brazil fighter jet contract, is another part of the cost of NSA’s hoovering.
The Brazilian Air Force recommended the SAAB JAS 39 Gripen, based on the total cost of ownership, as well as their mission requirements. The President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, decided that the government should buy the Boeing F/A-18 to improve ties with the US.
Well, after she found out about the NSA spying on Brazil, President Rousseff decided the military was right in their assessment, and bought the SAAB aircraft.
Digby covers the NSA report by Zero’s ‘blue ribbon panel’, and is a bit surprised, as am I that it wasn’t a total whitewash of the problems.
The report notes that the bulk collection program has not been successful in stopping anything. What the spooks have cited as ‘wins’ could all have been accomplished with regular warrants targeting specific individuals or groups, instead of creating huge databases with information on almost everyone in the US.
The report is all swell and wonderful, but the proof will come if any effective changes are made to these programs, and that seems highly unlikely.
December 18, 2013 2 Comments
