Posted on 05/11/2006 11:32:37 AM PDT by TeleStraightShooter
THE PRESIDENT: After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government would do everything within the law to protect them against another terrorist attack. As part of this effort, I authorized the National Security Agency to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. In other words, if al Qaeda or their associates are making calls into the United States or out of the United States, we want to know what they're saying.
Today there are new claims about other ways we are tracking down al Qaeda to prevent attacks on America. I want to make some important points about what the government is doing and what the government is not doing.
First, our international activities strictly target al Qaeda and their known affiliates. Al Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans. Second, the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. Third, the intelligence activities I authorized are lawful and have been briefed to appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat. Fourth, the privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities.
We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates. So far we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil.
As a general matter, every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy. Our most important job is to protect the American people from another attack, and we will do so within the laws of our country.
Thank you.
Phase II Targeted Surveillance :
When suspect(s) are identified, obtain a warrant if required.
"Fewer than 10 U.S. citizens or residents a year, according to an authoritative account, have aroused enough suspicion during warrantless eavesdropping to justify interception of their domestic calls, as well. That step still requires a warrant from a federal judge, for which the government must supply evidence of probable cause."
In other words work, domestic to domestic calls that are listened to are listened to with a warrant.
Sounds like it was a good plan. If we don't know what domestic to domestic calls to get a warrant on, how do we get a warrant?
Technically, phone lines are not our property anyway.
fyi
I have zero doubt that if these programs had been in place in 2000 and early 2001 that 9/11 would not have happened. The patterns of phone calls coming from Germany and Yemen would have been discovered and warrants gotten for calls to and from Mohamed Atta. The two hijackers who the CIA knew about but lost after they entered the US would probably have been found.
I'm not. Having said that, this type of activity, in this context, seems reasonable.
Oh, and Welcome to FreeRepublic.
International communications is the key term. IMHO anyone making an international call with any expectation of privacy is an idiot. When I make an international call, I expect that someone might be listening in, and I don't see how it matters if it's US or someone else.
Using their property and equipment to conduct your activity means it is NOT your "private activity". You are acting in public since you are doing it on THEIR property. Trying to claim you have a right to privacy while using THEIR property is foolish.
Nice Try Democrat Underground. So are you a new troll or one of the usual DU fools who comes around regulary to make wholly ignorant, nonsensical comments thinking they are "clever"?
So what's the problem? Of course the Congressional idiots wil be all over the talk shows this weekend, attacking the President and General Hayden, basing all their accusations on an article in the McPaper USA Today.
BTW, the article says nothing about corporate monitoring and reporting back to the feds.
Well that was quick. It seems to be a pile of smoking ash smelling strongly of ozone now.
Bookmarked
They're not even clever, nor funny. No entertainment value to them.
Great pict. Mind if I steal it?
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