instance where coverage of an al qaeda career in pakistan when that person was communicating in aurora colorado who was asking for bomb making and it was only through 702 that that person was identified. without that, i think it's a fair conclusion that it would've been very hard, if not impossible to identify him at the time he was identified which was shortly before he traveled to new york in order to carry out a plot to bomb the new york subway. : i actually don't see where the tension is. it seems to me that section 702, one of the virtues of it in one of the reasons i felt that the time in 2007 in 2008 was that it actually told you very clearly exactly what it did and didn't authorize. it's remarkably non- statute and the staff wasn't debated and, look, i agree with you. people were upfront about it. i wonder the term incidental has this, people have this idea that it's deceptive and it doesn't seem deceptive to me at all. it just means you're not the target. >> it's illegal. we all know what they mean but they carry connotations but that's all right i don't want to take up your time. >> o

when you think about the guy who was dressed by -- dressed like a clown in aurora, colorado, it seems like it was so long ago, that it was not. there have been so many incidents occurring in this country by lone wolf type terrorists or people with mental health issues. host: if you go to the institute of economics and peace, they issue what is known as a global terrorism index. they provide charts on areas of the world that are rated for their impact of terrorism. on the u.s. section, it reads the areas around the middle east, there is more activity involved. , at least you a look a visual of some hotspots across the world. we are talking about the potential for activity in the united states and your thoughts on it. republicans, 202-748-8001. democrats, 202-748-8000. independents, 202-748-8002. we would hear from windsor, connecticut. cindy, go ahead. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. real quick, i agree with the comments of the previous callers. we, as americans, need to be vigilant. you can look around the world and even in the united states to see the terrorist ty

coverage under 702 of an al qaeda currier in pakistan, that person was communicating with azazy in aurora, colorado who was asking for bomb-making instructions. it was only through 702 that that person was identified. without 702, i think it's a fair conclusion that it would have been very hard, if not impossible, to identify azazy at the time he was identified which was shortly before he moved to -- he traveled to new york in order to carry out a plot to bomb the new york subway. >> just to add to that, i don't think there really is tension actually. i think the 702 allows only the targeting of non-u.s. persons overseas. no one has ever, to my knowledge, at least no one who knows anything about the statutes, has ever argued that it doesn't authorize the collection of communications that aren't exclusively overseas. it allows targeting of people who are non-u.s. persons overseas. they communicate with people all over the world, including in the united states, and by the way, if you're trying to protect the united states, those specific communications may be of particular interest. i just actually d

declassified is an instance where coverage under 702 of a career in pakistan, that person in auroraicating , colorado, who was asking for bomb making instructions. it is only with 702 that person was identified. without 702, it would have been at therd to identify time he was identified, which is shortly before he traveled to new york to carry out a plot to bomb the subway. benjamin: i don't think there really is tension, actually. i think 702 allows only the targeting of non-us persons overseas. no one has ever, to my knowledge, at least no one who knows anything about the statute, has ever argued that it doesn't authorize the collection of communications that aren't exclusively overseas. it allows targeting of people who are non-us persons overseas. all communicate with people over the world including in the united states and if you're trying to protect the united states, those communications might be of particular interest. i don't see where the tension is. 702, one ofme that the virtues of it, and one of the reasons -- i felt this at the time in 2007 and 2008, was that it actually told you very c