NSA Declassifies Memo About Failed TRAILBLAZER Project

decora writes "Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post reports that the NSA has just declassified one of the 5 documents NSA whistleblower Thomas Andrews Drake was charged under the Espionage Act for retaining in his basement. The document, which Drake previously faced years in prison for possessing, is essentially a cheerleading memo, complimenting the Trailblazer project team for a great presentation and demo. It stands in stark contrast to numerous other reports that described the NSA IT project as an overbudget, ineffective, billion dollar seven year boondoggle."

NSA vs WikiLeaks - anyone ???

[Anonymous Coward]

The NSA must be desperate to remain relevant now because they seem to want to pit themselves up against WikiLeaks.

"we both believe information increases in value by sharing;"

Well if that isn't the organisational goal of WikiLeaks, I don't know what is.

"we both respect protection of privacy and civil liberties;"

WikiLeaks lets for you discover your civil liberties are being violated, at an unselective, but arguably necessary cost of some privacy loss.

"we both believe in the need for oversight that fosters innovation,"

WikiLeaks provides a mechanism for oversight.

"doesn’t pick winners and losers, and retains freedom and flexibility;"

WikiLeaks.

"we both oppose malicious and criminal behavior."

WikiLeaks provides am excellent mechanism to oppose both of those exact things. Of course, unless the deemed criminal behaviour is actually point number 1: "we both believe information increases in value by sharing;".

"We should build on this common ground because we have a shared responsibility to secure cyberspace."

Thats a pleasant sentiment. However in the face of the real successes that WikiLeaks has already actually achieved (while NSA has made no such contributions towards many of those exact stated goals), you can just subtract all of those major points for which the NSA is simply not capable of ever acheiving. With or without the help of hackers. Those fewer and (far less significant) points that remains are simply what the NSA organisational goals already are / were. I don't see this talk helping anybody except for Obama to justify writing a fat paycheck to "Cybercecurity Chief" job role. Which is itself completely irrelevant to the world and its geopolitical events. What a complete waste of other people's time and money. Glad I'm not going to be there.