[9.27.11] Frontline

Facts:
1) The president and Congress were willing to do anything for war after the September 11 attack. Congress provided a "blank check"; the United States were to use any means at their disposal.
2) Cofer Black was in charage of anti-terrorist efforts at that time.
3) Black strongly urged the United States to defeat Bin Laden and to start the war.
4) Graystone was the codename of the plan to bring down al-Qaeda and al-Qaeda supporters. It was the largest covert action since the cold war.
5) On September 26, 2001, American soldiers flew in to Afghanistan. They worked with locals and also tried to minimize the American footprint there.
6) The CIA fired at a car that was traveling in Yemen with a weapon that many did not know the CIA had.
7) Stress and duress techniques to interrogate... These were called "enhanced interrogation techniques."
8) Black sites are prisons that exist around the world. There are around 200 in number and are run & paid for by the CIA.
9) There are 100s of secret locations that are part of the NSA. They seem like "normal" buildings from the outside. Apparently, it is like a secret world; although there may be only four stories above ground, the building may extend for many stories under.
10) There was a terrorist threat the week before Obama's inauguration.

Questions:
1) What the attack in Yemen necessary? Was it, like a certain man said in the program, like "buying eggs"? Does the United States have a license to kill whoever they wish to?
2) Aren't the black sites inhumane and should not be allowed?
3)What is the difference between a covert action and military operation?
4) Would intercepting people's cell phone conversations be an invasion of privacy? Is this justified?
5) Is there definite proof of the "secret locations" that are run my the NSA? Where is all of this money funding all of these buildings coming from?
6) What are other countries' opinions of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars?
7) According to a woman in the program, "intelligence officials don't exactly know what they're doing." How do they not? Why?
8) Is the United States too paranoid? (Seems similar to Cold War)
9) Is security (eg wire-tapping, airport security, etc) too strict?
10) How many Americans know about what we just learned?