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NY Daily News
November 30, 2013
The National Security Agency proposed smearing supposed terrorist sympathizers by publicizing their visits to porn sites, according to a new report.
The NSA document provided by Edward Snowden and released late Tuesday reveals that the agency had targeted six Muslims who could be undermined by highlighting the hypocrisy of their “personal vulnerabilities,” according to the new story in the Huffington Post.
The report does not identify the targets, who the NSA dubs “radicalizers” — people who allegedly incite terrorist activity through rhetoric.
Information that could damage the targets’ reputations includes “viewing sexually explicit material online” and “using sexually explicit persuasive language when communicating with inexperienced young girls,” the Huffington Post reported, citing the documents dated Oct. 3, 2012.
The six targets live outside the U.S., though one is classified as a “U.S. person,” meaning he is either a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and entitled to greater legal protections, according to the report.
None of the targets were accused of terrorism — rather, they allegedly inspired others by expressing “controversial ideas” through social media, the Huffington Post reported.
The information was gleaned mostly through “Sunni extremist communications,” according to the top-secret documents.
The Deputy Legal Director of the American Civili Liberties Union, Jameel Jaffer, said the latest disclosure served as an “unwelcome reminder” of the NSA’s broad access to private information.
“One ordinarily associates these kinds of tactics with the secret police services of authoritarian governments. That these tactics have been adopted by the world’s leading democracy – and the world’s most powerful intelligence agency – is truly chilling,” said Jaffer.
One of the targets allegedly spread the message that “non-Muslims are a threat to Islam” — a claim that could be countered by highlighting his “online promiscuity,” according to documents.
The NSA said the same accusation of raunchy browsing history could be used against a “respected academic” who says that “offensive jihad is justified.”
It is unclear if the NSA actually carried out the smear campaigns, or if the agency initiated contact with the targets. Their names were redacted by the Huffington Post. The Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Agency were listed as recipients of the NSA documents.
A spokesman for National Intelligence Director James Clapper stood by the practice.
“It should not be surprising that the U.S. Government uses all of the lawful tools at our disposal to impede the efforts of valid terrorist targets who seek to harm the nation and radicalize others to violence,” the spokesman told Huffington Post.
