[General] Meaning of 'had the authority to wiretap even the president if I had an email'

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Olympian

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Hello,

the following is from the news story about how the NSA leaker Edward Snowden's story isn't holding up.

3. Snowden didn't have 'authority' to wiretap anybody
The most eye-popping claim Snowden made was
this:
Any analyst at any time can target anyone.... Where those communications will be picked up depends on the range of the sensor networks and the authorities that that analyst is empowered with. Not all analysts have the ability to target everything. But I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone: From you or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the president if I had a personal email.

What is the meaning of the last part of the last sentence above (even the president if I had a personal email)? I understand that he is saying that he had the authority to wiretap even the president. But I did not understand what he means by 'if I had a personal email'.

Thank you.

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you” - Joseph Heller, Catch-22
 
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MikeNewYork

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Hello,

the following is from the news story about how the NSA leaker Edward Snowden's story isn't holding up.

3. Snowden didn't have 'authority' to wiretap anybody
The most eye-popping claim Snowden made was
this:
Any analyst at any time can target anyone.... Where those communications will be picked up depends on the range of the sensor networks and the authorities that that analyst is empowered with. Not all analysts have the ability to target everything. But I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone: From you or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the president if I had a personal email.

What is the meaning of the last part of the last sentence above (even the president if I had a personal email)? I understand that he is saying that he had the authority to wiretap even the president. But I did not understand what he means by 'if I had a personal email'.

Thank you.

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you” - Joseph Heller, Catch-22

It rmeans "if I had the President's personal e-mail address".
 
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Rover_KE

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Olympian, for the second time, instead of sending your thanks in a separate message and quoting our replies back to us, just click the Like button, please.

The reason is that it is flagged as a new post, so we think you might have a follow-up question or something to add. Those of us with slow internet connections and/or old computers have to waste valuable time waiting for it to appear.

Thank you.

Rover​


 
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