Washington - The National Security Agency considered abandoning
its secret programme to collect and store American calling records in the
months before leaker Edward Snowden revealed the practice, current and former
intelligence officials say, because some officials believed the costs
outweighed the meagre counter-terrorism benefits.
After the leak and the collective surprise around the world, NSA leaders strongly defended the phone records programme to Congress and the public, but without disclosing the internal debate.
The proposal to kill the programme was circulating among top managers, but had not yet reached the desk of General Keith Alexander, then the NSA director, according to current and former intelligence officials who would not be quoted because the details are sensitive. Two former senior NSA officials say they doubt Alexander would have approved it.