If you ever wondered why people viewed leaks about intelligence programs as bad, why not take a look at how a series of leaks in the global war on terror have affected the intelligence gathered. Recent reports indicate that the amount of intelligence collected has dropped by as much as two-thirds. This is the result of not just the leaks, but some of the consequences of the leaks. Perhaps the most famous of these leaks was the New York Times article concerning the NSA's efforts to listen in on terrorist conversations. The result was a major firestorm. While some were upset that a classified program was revealed, others were upset that the NSA was listening in on phone conversations (never mind that there was no credible evidence of abuse). The result was lawfare targeting technical intelligence, and very heated debate.
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