US officials say less than 300 phone numbers were investigated in 2012, data thwarted terrorist plots
The U.S. government searched for detailed information on calls involving fewer than 300 phone numbers last year, according to an unclassified document circulated Saturday.
The paper said such searches -- part of two controversial U.S. intelligence gathering programs -- led to two men allegedly plotting to attack New York City's subway system, Reuters reported. The data, which the Associated Press reported is destroyed every five years, thwarted terrorist plots in the U.S. and more than 20 other countries.
The document, which has reportedly been circulating within the government by intelligence agencies, is an apparent attempt by the Obama administration to rebut accusations that it went too far in its surveillance activities. The administration had admitted the National Security Agency collects millions of records each year but insists that it is legal. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, explained how the program worked without violating individuals' civil rights.
