>>2825224 (lb)

This paragraph stood out to me too. I wonder if NSA agents attempted to make cabal complacent & disarm them by statement like this. Decreasing the parameters of a search is what it sounds like. Instead of filtering by subject, to, and from - they stated that they were only going to filter their searches by to and from.

Why would they decrease their surveillance of the subject field? Especially during this time period in history when /ourguys are going on the offense?

False pretense?