Re: But they helped us catch the suspects . . .

I wouldn't think I would have to tell you this, but obviously that does not apply to all of terrorists. If that were true, then Dzhokhar Tsarnaev would've killed himself rather than allow himself to get captured and Osama bin Laden would not have gone into hiding like a little puss.

It applies to Islamist minded terrorists, who are the most likely to attack America these days. And Osama and other leaders didn't kill themselves because of their directive roles. But operatives have to kill themselves. At least when they conduct an attack infiltrated on enemy soil.

If there weren't, then al Qaeda would've self-destructed long ago.

On enemy soil. In theory, their operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria, are not enemy soil.

But you are essentially arguing that two wrongs make a right.

I am saying why we plebs are mad at surveillers. Not trying to make it a moral argument; just explaining the roots of the emotion.

Well, I am not afraid of the authorities, even though I know for certain am on their radar. I am more afraid of garden variety civilian douchebags who might think they are doing the world a favor by attacking or killing me because of who I am. I have lived as an out MAP for almost a decade now and have yet to be hassled by anyone in law enforcement, but I have been assaulted once by a civilian douchebag. I have also been harassed, threatened, etc. by civilian douchebags. So my experience tells me who I should REALLY be afraid of, and it's not the cops.

I wasn't assaulted by cops either the day when the camera was irrelevant, but by what you call civilians. [*] I don't love the police, but the worst they've done to me is really not so bad. And it's not anything they wouldn't do on any other Member of the Public.

So, did the camera identify the attackers? No. And it was working, and yet it's trivial to break a camera just in order to commit the act unwatched. If you're going to kill someone anyway, breaking a police camera is small beans legally.

[*] You're wrong in one thing: they're not civilians, they're combatants. Therefore valid targets. If you ever kill them by disemboweling them with your Pen (is mightier than your sword) I will uncork.