Here’s why NSA officials never seem to stop talking about 9/11

National Security Agency talking points prepared to respond to the wave of leaks about surveillance practices advised officials to cite 9/11 to justify programs, according to a document obtained by Al Jazeera America via a Freedom of Information request.

Sept. 11 or 9/11 was mentioned 14 times during a House Intelligence Committee hearing about the leaks -- five of them from NSA Director Gen. Keith B. Alexander. In one of his early mentions, he gave the specific death count for the terrorist attack when explaining the origin of the programs: "How did we end up here? 9/11 -- 2,996 people were killed in 9/11."