The Puzzle Palace is a book written by James Bamford, in which he discusses the National Security Agency, a United States Intelligence organization. The titular term refers to the NSA at Fort Meade, Maryland.[1] In addition to describing the role of the NSA and explaining how it was organized, the book exposed details of a massive eavesdropping operation called Operation Shamrock. According to security expert Bruce Schneier the book was popular within the NSA itself, because "the agency's secrecy prevents its employees from knowing much about their own history."[2]
Before the book's publication, the Reagan administration claimed that unclassified source documents were released to Bamford in error, and threatened him with legal action if he did not return 250 pages of documents he had obtained through FOIA requests. Bamford refused to turn over the documents and published the book as planned. After Bamford's refusal, classification rules were revised to allow document reclassification, and the contested documents were reclassified. NSA agents then visited libraries to remove other reclassified source documents from circulation.[3][4][5] [6][7][8]
[edit] Editions
- ^ The term has also been used to refer to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the book, "The Bureau" by Diarmuid Jeffreys, 1995
- ^ Schneier, Bruce (2001). "Body of Secrets review". http://www.schneier.com/essay-103.html.
- ^ Foerstel, Herbert N (1999). Freedom of Information and the Right to Know: The Origins and Applications of the Freedom of Information Act. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. pp. 115-116. ISBN 0-313-28546-2.
- ^ Miller, Judith (15 March 1982). "Author fights Justice's reneging on data". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Jb4qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HmgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6871,7558744&dq=james+bamford&hl=en. Retrieved 17 January 2012. "Letters from Schroeder dated Sept. 22 and Nov. 27 suggest that Bamford might be subject to federal legal action if he proceeds to publish the information as planned."
- ^ Associated Press (15 March 1982). "Justice wants spy documents returned: Times". St. Joseph Gazette. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_SBdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nFoNAAAAIBAJ&pg=3064,1732974&dq=james+bamford&hl=en. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ Bamford, James. "1984 interview". Charlie Rose Show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXwHLMckzKM.
- ^ Taubman, Philip (1983). "NSA stamps SECRET on library records critical of agency actions". The Spokesman-Review. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YvlLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pu4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7253,7285151&dq=james+bamford&hl=en.
- ^ Taubman, Philip (April 28, 1983). "Security agency bars access to nonsecret materials, library records show". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/28/us/security-agency-bars-access-to-nonsecret-material-library-records-show.html. "While they were at Marshall library, NSA officials told the library that the visit was part of a systematic effort to track down and, if necessary, remove from circulation research materials about sensitive matters that were used in Bamford's book, library officials said."
