The NSA's Pathetic Rationale for Spying on Us

The Post reports that defenders of the NSA's accumulation of a massive database of phone records on all Americans are citing one case as evidence of the program's importance:

He was a San Diego cab driver who fled Somalia as a teenager, winning asylum in the United States after he was wounded during fighting among warring tribes. Today, Basaaly Moalin, 36, is awaiting sentencing following his conviction on charges that he sent $8,500 to Somalia in support of the terrorist group al-Shabab.

Moalin’s prosecution, barely noticed when the case was in court, has suddenly come to the fore of a national debate about U.S. surveillance. Under pressure from Congress, senior intelligence officials have offered it as their primary example of the unique value of a National Security Agency program that collects tens of millions of phone records from Americans.

Gee, I feel a lot safer now. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if nefarious cab drivers like Basaaly Moalin were still walking our streets.