(click picture for an enlarged view)
Back a few years ago, Valdis Crebs promoted a case study of how network analysis applied to social situations, could uncover a terrorist network. He wrote
Social network analysis [SNA] is the mapping and measuring of relationships and flows between people, groups, organizations, animals, computers or other information/knowledge processing entities. The nodes in the network are the people and groups while the links show relationships or flows between the nodes. SNA provides both a visual and a mathematical analysis of human relationships. Management consultants use this methodology with their business clients and call it Organizational Network Analysis [ONA].
A method to understand networks and their participants is to evaluate the location of actors in the network. Measuring the network location is finding the centrality of a node. These measures help determine the importance, or prominence, of a node in the network. Network location can be different than location in the hierarchy, or organizational chart.
We look at a social network, called the "Kite Network"[see above], developed by David Krackhardt, a leading researcher in social networks. Two nodes are connected if they regularly talk to each other, or interact in some way. For instance, in the network above, Andre regularly interacts with Carol, but not with Ike. Therefore Andre and Carol are connected, but there is no link drawn between Andre and Ike. This network effectively shows the distinction between the three most popular individual network measures: Degree Centrality, Betweenness Centrality, and Closeness Centrality.
When Mr Crebs applied this to open source material about the 9/11 hijackers, he came up with the network diagram above.
The Belmont Club's Wretchard did a piece on this back in September of 2004 and it stuck with me. And he pointed to a Washington Post piece about how this theory was used by US Intelligence to track down Saddam Hussein
The Army general whose forces captured Saddam Hussein said yesterday that he realized as far back as July that the key lay in figuring out the former Iraqi president's clan and family support structures in and around Hussein's home city of Tikrit.
Following a strategy similar to that pioneered by New York City police in the 1990s, who cracked down on "squeegee men" only to discover they knew about far more serious criminals, Maj. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said his analysts and commanders spent the summer building "link diagrams," graphics showing everyone related to Hussein by blood or tribe.
What brought all this to mind was the report by USA Today of the latest intelligence leak regarding secret operations being conducted by the NSA
The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.
Given what we know about the program
Q: Does that mean people listened to my conversations?
A: Eavesdropping is not part of this program.
Q: What was the NSA doing?
A: The NSA collected "call-detail" records. That's telephone industry lingo for the numbers being dialed. Phone customers' names, addresses and other personal information are not being collected as part of this program. The agency, however, has the means to assemble that sort of information, if it so chooses.
Q: But I'm not calling terrorists. Why do they need my calls?
A: By cross-checking a vast database of phone calling records, NSA experts can try to pick out patterns that help identify people involved in terrorism.
It seems to me that the NSA is using it's massive computing power to perform Social Network Analysis to uncover terrorist networks working within the US that have ties to terrorist organizations overseas.
Also, they would not need names or addresses to do this. In fact, it would be detrimental to know these since a name could possibly be prejudicial, both for or against, an individual. All that matters is the network.
Once a network is selected as a possibility, then the names obviously become important.
You know, I remember after 9/11 everyone was accusing people of "not connecting the dots". And now that people are trying, many get their panties in a bunch.
The facts are this: our Congressfolk who are authorized were and are informed about this program. Senator Leahy, who now wants to know more about the program, needs to be reminded why it was he was kicked off the Senate Intelligence Committee: He's leaky.
That's why we have an intelligence committee, to limit access to secret programs while at trhe same time providing Congressional oversight.
And we just don't need the likes of Leahy leaking stuff.
Of the two Democrats who were briefed on the NSA program, and who do not themselves leak
Senator Dianne Feinstein said: "I think it's a very impressive program." Congresswoman Jane Harman, the top Democrat on House Intelligence, said: "I believe the program is essential to U.S. national security."
Look, here's the deal, do we want the government to prevent terrorists or not?
