From: John.Nieder@f33.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG (John Nieder)
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 93 22:53:33 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: NSA STRENGTH
Message-ID: <4625.2B64DAF7@fidogate.FIDONET.ORG>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



from: john.nieder@f33.n125.z1.fidonet.org

>> I am doubtful of the 40,000 figure even with contract employees. That's
>> a small army. What the hell could keep that many people busy? (shudder)

>NSA occupies two very large office buildings, including the longest
>corridor in the world (a mile, if I recall correctly, but my copy of
>"The Puzzle Palace" is not handy). I went and took a look, and can
>confirm the parking lot is _huge_.

As is the case with a good many other gov't. agencies, one can be sure
that all the crew are not 9-to-5ers showing up at one office.

>The 40,000 figure may or may not be accurate, as the NSA won't say.
>Some say the employment is closer to 100,000. Certainly it is much
>higher than that of the CIA.

It has been a good many years since I traveled in the lower strata of
these circles, but it was my information that the NSA, at least at that
time, had a manpower pool "hugely greater than the CIA's."  It is my
understanding that the NSA budget is highly classified - unavailable
even to most members of Congress.

>Bear in mind that they are the nation's
>primary SIGINT facility...

I believe you'll find that the NSA also is involved in SATINT & ELINT
as well.  Never Say Anythings are busy little bees.

>operating the various listening posts in
>conjunction with military personnel (via Army Security Agency, Naval
>Security Group, Air Forc, etc.).

It is my belief from personal experience that the NSA requests &
receives operational assistance from those innocuous agencies in
positions to gather information of use to the NSA in the course of their
routine duties.

>As always, read James Bamford's "The Puzzle Palace," which gets
>referred to a lot on this list.

I've tried to read this famous tome a couple of times, but have been
unable to hack its turgid prose.  Someday. perhaps...

> Public Key: waiting for the dust to settle.

Excuse me, Tim?

        JN
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: 2.1

mQCNAitWeuoAAAEEAN2DcLjYiri8Th9HlUFfCxSyxt/FZLjIX121kWoGax9hb8wM
QRTtjeN+FKHdkdzD8zr7P+GbExF0X5DhZp02O1te6/2fuHDESHYUsymQpyDqoJpH
wd7xZ/VraYhEX6eQzbbS4k5jbdQLzzIdgD8URzAMXYmTkvLrXhAm8ppE4nk3AAUR
tDFKb2huIE5pZWRlciA8am9obi5uaWVkZXJAZjMzLm4xMjUuejEuZmlkb25ldC5v
cmc+
=237u
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----


... Who has the USSR's BIOWAR contageous snakebite virus?  
--- Blue Wave/Opus v2.12 [NR]
--  
John Nieder - via FidoNet node 1:125/555
    UUCP - ...!uunet!hoptoad!kumr!fidogate!33!John.Nieder
INTERNET - John.Nieder@f33.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG