A noun, a verb, and 9/11. According to a memo obtained by Al Jazeera America, the NSA instructed its officials to invoke 9/11 when justifying broad surveillance activities exposed by the Edward Snowden leaks. Under a section titled “Sound Bites that Resonate,” the memo recommends saying “I much prefer to be here today explaining these programs, than explaining another 9/11 event that we were not able to prevent.” When asked for comment, the NSA pointed to General Keith Alexander’s testimony before Congress on Tuesday and that the Agency has no further comment.