Holy Sources and Methods Batman!

So... NSA has a technique to analyze disposable cell phone usage that can quickly identify a bad guy.

The number from a disposable cellphone led FBI agents to the suspect arrested Monday night for allegedly driving a car bomb into Times Square on Saturday evening, according to a senior official.

“They were able to basically get one phone number and by running it through a number of databases, figure out who they thought the guy was,” the official said

Nice to know.

Another source and method that people probably worked long and hard to develop... blown. Some stuff should stay classified. This is surely an example where the public's need to know specific sources and methods does not outweigh the need to keep using those sources and methods to protect the public. Revealing sources and methods usually results in degradation or loss of the source. It is usually criminal, irresponsible, self-serving, or just plain stupid. Sometimes all of those. Rarely, rarely none.

Check out the last paragraphs:

At 11:30 p.m., Holder was called about the arrest. He was rushed back to DOJ, complete with flashing lights. He didn't go to his office but straight to the National Security Division's 7th-floor SCIF (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility) for real-time updates.

Officials worked until 1:10 to nail everything down. Assured it was the guy, DOJ issued a news advisory. Holder walked in front of the camera at 1:30 a.m.

I don't think I've ever seen the SCIF referred to in an article like this. It sounds like they read the traffic in the SCIF then someone came out and gave anonymous background to the press?

Great job catching the bad guy so quickly. That was professional. Revealing how you did it, that was amateurish.

H/T Instapundit