Posted on 12/16/2005 1:50:13 PM PST by F14 Pilot
A few months after 9/11, President Bush authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to eavesdrop on Americans and others in the US without having to obtain the court warrants normally required in these situations, according to government officials. The New York Times reports that as a result, the NSA has monitored the international phone calls and e-mails of "hundreds, perhaps thousands" of people living in the United States. Before Sept. 11, 2001, the NSA limited its spying in the US to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court orders for such investigations. Officials say the government still seeks warrants for entirely domestic surveillance.
The previously undisclosed decision to permit some eavesdropping inside the country without court approval was a major shift in American intelligence-gathering practices, particularly for the National Security Agency, whose mission is to spy on communications abroad. As a result, some officials familiar with the continuing operation have questioned whether the surveillance has stretched, if not crossed, constitutional limits on legal searches. "This is really a sea change," said a former senior official who specializes in national security law. "It's almost a mainstay of this country that the NSA only does foreign searches."
The Times also reported the White House asked it not to publish the article, "arguing that it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny." As a result, the paper delayed publishing the article for a year, and omitted some information that the administration said would be useful for terrorists.
The Washington Post reports that the aim of the program was to quickly monitor the phone calls and e-mails of people in the United States believed to have contacts with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups overseas.
Authorities, including a former NSA director, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, were worried
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
Yeah. Fake but accurate right?
These "Americans" were people in the United States believed to have contacts with Al Qaeda and other terrorist orgs.
Old news.
Oh no, the privacy of Al Qaeda sleepers was violated. Oh me oh my...I hope they can find it in their hearts to forgive us.
Don't you love the media reporting this as if the NSA is just getting its kicks listening in to phone conversations of just average Americans talking about Johnny's Little League game and Suzie's ballet lessons rather than what it really is: an attempt to monitor the communications of terrorist suspects with their overseas minders and counterparts? Honest to goodness the MSM is so caught up in its ridiculous Bush hate they will even side with terrorists to try to make the president look bad.
This will be just as big as Watergate, and in time we will learn who this Deep Throat is.
You just get up? The MSM has been orgasmic all day with this.
Hardball may not be on tonight, Chrissie has overdosed on orgasms I'm sure.
Obviously unimportant. What is important is the sacred and inviolable nature of the telephone call and the e-mail, particularly the e-mail.
Every now and then the MSM inadevrtantly releases some good news!
There's abook called The Puzzle Palace. It says that NSA is constantly placing citizens under surveillance, as routine.
Under the rules, if a foreign national calls a US citizen, then the entire conversation cannot be monitored. This is quite a loophole for foreign influences that may not have our best interests at heart.
This rule was a major factor in letting the Chicago Seven go on appeal- some of the evidence included wiretaps of The Seven conniving with foregners outside the US, that was swept up when those foreigners were monitored calling the US citizens.
Amazing the crap these people will spit out over President Bush, but you can bet if it was their 'god' clinton-slime it would be the best thing next to grandma's apple pie....
Total idiots all of them....
You want in on the idiotic nonsense on this thread?
If you really want the inside on this just try and find how old Leaky Leahy went off on the Senate floor today.
Talking of loons, he is the moonbat leader.
"Hardball may not be on tonight, Chrissie has overdosed on orgasms I'm sure."
Oh silly one, you can never have too many orgasms.
Well one thing is obvious...Bush needs to hire Clinton's old "War Room" personnel and pay them whatever they want. They are already way behind on this and the words "Criminal Conduct" have been framed by the media.
Lil Scotti McClellan and the blonde school teacher ain't getting it done!
Defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory today.
er.........my bad.......you are so right.
:)
Funny how the mass media never gave a sh!t about Hill & Bill's stolen FBI files. That was never worth writing about nor investigating
This is really great news. Now we know why there have been follow-on attacks after 9/11.
I am proud of this President.
leakers must be exterminated
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