Those accustomed to imagine the US National Security Agency (NSA) as some guild of omniscient, malevolent hermits effortlessly deciphering all the electromagnetic noise enveloping the modern world will be bitterly disappointed to learn that its basic, functional competence is . . .

Those accustomed to imagine the US National Security Agency (NSA) as some guild of omniscient, malevolent hermits effortlessly deciphering all the electromagnetic noise enveloping the modern world will be bitterly disappointed to learn that its basic, functional competence is in doubt. While the Agency has been credited with miraculous achievements such as monitoring every communication made by electronic means worldwide with its famous Echelon system, there's reason to wonder if it will even exist a decade from now.

The NSA has got severe internal problems, long suspected but only recently confirmed. Conspiracy paranoiacs will of course insist that the Agency is leaking the bad news as part of a subtle plot to throw us all off the scent of their shocking capabilities. But those who understand the frailties of human nature will find it easier to suspend disbelief, and even sympathise a bit.

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