SIDtoday: 2009: A Watershed Year in the Fight Against Terrorism

DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL SID Today archives Welcome! Saturday, 10 Nov 2012 Web search Agency-all Emails SID-all Emails NSA Rolodex SCQAWK: The SID Mailbag SIDtoday Blog SIDtoday Series SIGINT Worldwide VTC SIDtoday Article Letter to the Editor SIGINT-y Social Media Page (U) 2009: A Watershed Year in the Fight Against Terrorism FROM: (U//FOUO) Counterterrorism Mission Management Center (CT MMC) Run Date: 03/11/2010 feedback

(S//SI//REL) On behalf of the Associate Deputy Director for Counterterrorism it is our pleasure to present the Counterterrorism Year in Review for 2009. The past year was a watershed period in the fight against terrorism and radical extremist groups. SIGINT was vital to successes against Al-Qa'ida (AQ) operatives within the United States, in East Africa, in the Arabian Peninsula, and more. For example, SIGINT first identified terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi's email connection to AQ external operations planners in Pakistan. Without that SIGINT lead on Zazi, his activities might not have come to the attention of the US intelligence and law enforcement communities until he actually conducted a terrorist attack against the US homeland. (Zazi was arrested in September.) (S//SI//REL) We adapted as the terrorist landscape changed. As the war in Iraq began winding down, we ramped up SIGINT support to the Afghanistan surge. With FBI, we hindered an AQ effort to influence the German presidential elections and thereby remove German troops from the coalition in Afghanistan. We helped thwart several Lashkar e-Tayyiba attacks against India. There were successes against AQ East Africa/al-Shabaab militants in Somalia. Additionally, the Islamic Jihad Union lost its leader and deputy leader in a missile strike. Shortly after a senior operational planner of Jemaah Islamiya (JI) made overtures to AQ senior leadership for JI to become AQ's franchise in the Asia Pacific region, he was killed by Indonesian security forces. (S//SI//REL) In many cases, NSA provided the vital intelligence that enabled capture/kill operations. In virtually all major IC, DoD and foreign partner successes, SIGINT was critical in developing the leads and pattern of life that eventually led to the successes. Additionally, NSA led the Intelligence Community in building partnerships, capabilities, strategies, and collaboration to ensure future successes. (U//FOUO) We encourage you to read this collection of successes and view them as a measure of NSA's contributions against terrorism. The efforts undertaken by our men and women working CT SIGINT worldwide, and with our partners and customers in the intelligence community, the armed forces and other partners, at home and around the world make all these successes possible. These professionals provide intelligence support needed to protect our troops and ensure operational success. Their dedication, commitment, and professionalism, are unparalleled and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. They remain our first line of defense in the fight. (U) You will find the report HERE. (U.S. only) Comments/Suggestions about this article? "(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)." Information Owner: (email) Page Publisher: (email) Last Modified: 11/10/2012 / Last Reviewed: 11/10/2012 DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108