Able Quote by Michael Morell
![“ISIS went to school on how we were collecting intelligence on terrorist organizations by using telecommunications technologies. And when they learned that from the [Edward] Snowden disclosures, they were able to adapt to it and essentially go silent.” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/54e/michael-morell-26084_able_isis-went-to-school-on-how-we-were-colle_2704547.jpg)
“ISIS went to school on how we were collecting intelligence on terrorist organizations by using telecommunications technologies. And when they learned that from the [Edward] Snowden disclosures, they were able to adapt to it and essentially go silent.”
About This Quote
The speaker notes that ISIS adapted to intelligence collection methods after Snowden's disclosures, learning to go silent.
In simple terms: ISIS learned to evade surveillance after Snowden leaks.
Key Takeaway
Stay vigilant to evolving security threats.
Themes
security
intelligence
terrorism
Mood
analytical
serious
Type
informative
strategic
When to use this quote
- policy briefings
- academic courses
- media analysis
- government training
Key Concepts
adaptation
information warfare
Questions to Reflect On
- How do intelligence agencies adapt to new threats?
- What ethical concerns arise from surveillance adaptations?
A Different Perspective
May oversimplify complex terrorist behavior.
![“Companies made these decisions about encryption when they were finding it very difficult to sell their products overseas because the [Edward] Snowden disclosures created the impression that the U.S. government was inside this hardware and software produced by them. They needed to do something to…” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d5d/michael-morell-26084_company_companies-made-these-decisions-about-enc_2065590.jpg)
![“The [Edward] Snowden disclosures created this perception that people's privacy was being put at significant risk.” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d2/michael-morell-26084_cybersecurity_the-edward-snowden-disclosures-created-t_402053.jpg)
![“The situation they [journalists and Edward Snowden] were in was incredibly heightened. The stakes were high. There was a lot of pressure, a lot of tension, a lot of sense of claustrophobic, clandestine energy that I think was exhilarating for us to explore and recreate. We were fortunate to shoot…” quote by Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c50/zachary-quinto-4021_amount_the-situation-they-journalists-and-edwar_1121168.jpg)
![“It's not exactly an interview that's going on [in documentary]. I guess we do ask Edward Snowden some questions and we're recording him answering them and so on like that.” quote by Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dee/melissa-leo-9231_asks_it-s-not-exactly-an-interview-that-s-goi_1084250.jpg)
![“I was really not familiar at all with Edward Snowden. I like to get that right out of the way and really learned most of what I know from Oliver's [Stones] script.” quote by Melissa Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bca/melissa-leo-9231_familiar_i-was-really-not-familiar-at-all-with-ed_944693.jpg)
![“[Edward Snowden and his team] they're great characters. They're fascinating people. They were in an extraordinary situation.” quote by Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a48/zachary-quinto-4021_character_edward-snowden-and-his-team-they-re-grea_906064.jpg)
![“One great lesson from history we need to keep on re-learning. It is that sometimes your adversaries tell you exactly what they're going to do. How many times did [Osama] bin Laden say prior to 9/11 that he was coming after the U.S.? ISIS made clear that when they established their caliphate in…” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4a6/michael-morell-26084_adversaries_one-great-lesson-from-history-we-need-to_649987.jpg)
![“Donald Trump didn't even understand, right, that [Vladimir] Putin was playing him. So, in Putin's mind, I have no doubt that Putin thinks that he's an unwitting agent of the Russian Federation, although Putin would never say that.” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/124/michael-morell-26084_agents_donald-trump-didn-t-even-understand-righ_877969.jpg)
![“[Hillary Clinton] never misused [ information that the Central Intelligence Agency has]. She always protected it. I would trust her with the crown jewels of the United States government. And, more importantly, I would trust her with the future security of the country and the future security of my…” quote by Michael Morell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1ef/michael-morell-26084_agency_hillary-clinton-never-misused-informatio_2054290.jpg)
