The National Security Agency and Justice Department mounted a robust defense of the government's controversial surveillance efforts on Tuesday, with NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander claiming they have helped prevent "potential terrorist events" over 50 times since 9/11.
Sean Joyce, a top FBI official claimed the surveillance efforts helped disrupt a plot to bomb the New York Stock Exchange. Joyce said NSA officials discovered the plot while monitoring a known extremist in Yemen, who was in contact with an individual in the U.S. Once the surveillance was initiated, they were able to detect "nascent plotting" to bomb the stock exchange and ultimately disrupt the plot.
