The 'Snowden Effect': US spies say militants change tactics

POSSIBLE FALLOUT: A bus passing by a poster of Edward Snowden. Snowden's leaking of NSA intelligence, has lead to militants changing their communications methods, say US intelligence. - Reuters

WASHINGTON: Even as US intelligence agencies and their global partners assess potential damage from Edward Snowden's disclosures about surveillance programmes, militants have begun responding by altering methods of communication, a change that could make it harder to foil attacks, US officials say.

Intelligence agencies have detected that members of targeted organisations, including both Sunni and Shi'ite militant groups, have begun altering communications patterns in what was believed to be a direct response to details on eavesdropping leaked by the former US spy agency contractor, two US national security sources said.