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Docs: Officials misused US surveillance program (for three years, misrepresented actions to FISA)
Yahoo! News ^ | 9/10/13 | Paul Elias - AP

Posted on 09/10/2013 7:15:55 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — U.S. officials for nearly three years accessed data on thousands of domestic phone numbers they shouldn't have and then misrepresented their actions to a secret spy court to reauthorize the government's surveillance program, documents released Tuesday show.

The government's explanation points to an enormous surveillance infrastructure with such incredible power that even the National Security Agency doesn't fully know how to properly use it: Officials told a judge in 2009 that the system is so large and complicated that "there was no single person who had a complete technical understanding" of it.

The documents, which the Obama administration was compelled to release as part of a lawsuit by a civil liberties group, show that National Security Agency analysts routinely exceeded their mission to track only phone numbers with reasonable connections to terrorism.

Officials said that the complexity of the computer system — and a misunderstanding of the laws, court orders and internal policies controlling analysts' actions — contributed to the abuses. There's no evidence that the NSA intentionally used its surveillance powers to spy on Americans for political purposes, a fear of many critics who recall the FBI's intrusive surveillance of civil rights leaders and protesters in the 1960s.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: fisa; govtabuse; misrepresented; misused; nsa; nsascandal; officials; surveillance; tyranny
Not to worry, it's no one's fault.. We'll just feeel our way along as the ship of FReedom and Liberty slowly slides below the waves..

If yur gubamint ain't profiled you yet,

like some folks of TEA Party persuasion already know,

just wait..

1 posted on 09/10/2013 7:15:55 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
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To: NormsRevenge

“Gee, it’s soooo complicated!”

Oh, STHU. You don’t know all it can do, but you damn well know what you CAN’T do. This is precisely the stuff we advised the intel weenies on over and over again, and turned them in when they ignored us. Damn these people!


2 posted on 09/10/2013 7:46:33 PM PDT by jagusafr (the American Trinity (Liberty, In G0D We Trust, E Pluribus Unum))
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To: NormsRevenge

And who exactly is going to charge these govt. workers with abuse???? Holder?


3 posted on 09/10/2013 7:52:19 PM PDT by Walkingfeather
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To: NormsRevenge

“Officials said that the complexity of the computer system — and a misunderstanding of the laws, court orders and internal policies controlling analysts’ actions — contributed to the abuses.”

Funny how the people who make and enforce the laws are the
only ones who can use ignorance of the law as an excuse and
get away with it. It’s hard to have any respect for anyone
in public service except the military and the fags are
working to blow that to. There is absolutely no reason to
trust anyone in the government for anything. Besides they
only hire the unemployable, take Kerry for example. Couldn’t
get a job sweeping floors in a ketchup factory and his old
ball and chain owns one.


4 posted on 09/10/2013 7:53:13 PM PDT by Slambat
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To: NormsRevenge

5 posted on 09/10/2013 7:58:22 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Is it East Germany YET???!?


6 posted on 09/10/2013 8:00:12 PM PDT by Lazamataz (Early 2009 to 7/21/2013 - RIP my little girl Cathy. You were the best cat ever. You will be missed.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Just a few low level rogue employees, I’m sure.


7 posted on 09/10/2013 8:09:57 PM PDT by autumnraine (America how long will you be so deaf and dumb to thoe tumbril wheels carrying you to the guillotine?)
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To: NormsRevenge

Misrepresented actions to FISA


Uhhh, that’s called lying to the court....Perjury=felony

But, then again, Holder did it repeatedly and ain’t shit happening to him.


8 posted on 09/10/2013 8:24:15 PM PDT by qaz123
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To: qaz123

Silly; don’t you know that only non-government employees/officials can be perjurers.


9 posted on 09/11/2013 3:32:42 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: OneWingedShark

Tell that to Scooter Libby.


10 posted on 09/11/2013 7:46:06 PM PDT by Henry Hnyellar
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To: Henry Hnyellar

Shouldn’t the junior stassi responsible be imprisoned? Fired? ...something?


11 posted on 09/11/2013 8:00:00 PM PDT by ogen hal (First amendment or reeducation camp)
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