Clinton NSA Eavesdropped on U.S. Calls

newsmax.com ^

[doesnt suffer fools gladly]

Clinton NSA Eavesdropped on U.S. Calls

During the 1990's under President Clinton, the National Security Agency monitored millions of private phone calls placed by U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries under a super secret program code-named Echelon.

On Friday, the New York Times suggested that the Bush administration has instituted "a major shift in American intelligence-gathering practices" when it "secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without [obtaining] court-approved warrants."

But in fact, the NSA had been monitoring private telephone conversations on a much larger scale throughout the 1990s - all of it done without a court order, let alone a catalyst like the 9/11 attacks.

In February 2000, for instance, CBS "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Kroft introduced a report on the Clinton-era spy program by noting:

"If you made a phone call today or sent an e-mail to a friend, there's a good chance what you said or wrote was captured and screened by the country's largest intelligence agency. The top-secret Global Surveillance Network is called Echelon, and it's run by the National Security Agency."

NSA computers, said Kroft, "capture virtually every electronic conversation around the world."

Echelon expert Mike Frost, who spent 20 years as a spy for the Canadian equivalent of the National Security Agency, told "60 Minutes" that the agency was monitoring "everything from data transfers to cell phones to portable phones to baby monitors to ATMs."

Mr. Frost detailed activities at one unidentified NSA installation, telling "60 Minutes" that agency operators "can listen in to just about anything" - while Echelon computers screen phone calls for key words that might indicate a terrorist threat.

The "60 Minutes" report also spotlighted Echelon critic, then-Rep. Bob Barr, who complained that the project as it was being implemented under Clinton "engages in the interception of literally millions of communications involving United States citizens."

One Echelon operator working in Britain told "60 Minutes" that the NSA had even monitored and tape recorded the conversations of the late Sen. Strom Thurmond.

Still, the Times repeatedly insisted on Friday that the NSA surveillance under Bush had been unprecedented, at one point citing anonymously an alleged former national security official who claimed: "This is really a sea change. It's almost a mainstay of this country that the NSA only does foreign searches."

[p23185]

Sandy Berger, Clinton's Nat'l Security Advisor led the agancy

by led if you mean he headed up NSA, I don't think so. The head of NSA is always from one of the military branches.

[goresalooza]

Come on! It isn't HIP to say anything bad about the clintooons---janeane garafalo.

/Sarc

[Road Warrior ‘04]

And, the Barrett report contains what? Let's make that public, also!

[HighWheeler]

"Shoot, I forgot "hypocritical, self-loathing, vain (paradoxical, isn't it!), petty, vile, simpletons!!!"


attaboy, now yer on a roll.....

[coconutt2000]

I can't help but think what a waste of a cigar that was.

[scott7278]

Here's a good editorial by Tony Snow on the issue:

http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/tonysnow/2005/12/09/178552.html

[Names Ash Housewares]

Hmmmm how embarassing how embarrasing.

Clinton admin didnt use a warrent eh?

Shove this in the libs noses and make them smell it!

[goresalooza]

So...let me get this straight. We weren't at WAR during the clinton era, so they did a lot of illegal wiretapping based on what premise? Did clintoon tell Congress that he was doing this?

Now that we are at war with a formidable foe, the LSM claims it's suddenly NOT ok for Bush to wiretap on the advice of the AG and WH legal staff? Bush did notify Congress he was doing it, by the way.

How can the LSM live with itself? I wonder how long they'll keep this story buried.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

I chased your link a little bit and found THIS right away.... President Clinton implemented the new powers through Executive Order 12949.<5> Apart from giving the FISC physical search powers, the executive order also authorized the Attorney General “to approve physical searches, without a court order, to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods up to one year, if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by [FISA].”<6> http://fly.hiwaay.net/~pspoole/fiscshort.html For Immediate Release February 9, 1995 EXECUTIVE ORDER 12949 - - - - - - - FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE PHYSICAL SEARCHES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including sections 302 and 303 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("Act") (50 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.), as amended by Public Law 103- 359, and in order to provide for the authorization of physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes as set forth in the Act, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Pursuant to section 302(a)(1) of the Act, the Attorney General is authorized to approve physical searches, without a court order, to acquire foreign intelligence information for periods of up to one year, if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by that section. Sec. 2. Pursuant to section 302(b) of the Act, the Attorney General is authorized to approve applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court under section 303 of the Act to obtain orders for physical searches for the purpose of collecting foreign intelligence information. Sec. 3. Pursuant to section 303(a)(7) of the Act, the following officials, each of whom is employed in the area of national security or defense, is designated to make the certifications required by section 303(a)(7) of the Act in support of applications to conduct physical searches: (a) Secretary of State; (b) Secretary of Defense; (c) Director of Central Intelligence; (d) Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; (e) Deputy Secretary of State; (f) Deputy Secretary of Defense; and (g) Deputy Director of Central Intelligence. None of the above officials, nor anyone officially acting in that capacity, may exercise the authority to make the above certifications, unless that official has been appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. WILLIAM J. CLINTON THE WHITE HOUSE, February 9, 1995. http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo/eo-12949.htm

[Snoopers-868th]

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[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[narses]

Woodrow Wilson was horrified at the concept, but he did it. It has gone on since the first post office. Walshingham was a top flight eavesdropper.

[The Westerner]

Remember those long lists of keywords that flag emails?

[p23185]

Something stinks, and the only way to get at the truth is to release the full report. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who fought a lonely battle to ensure the document's publication, is furious. So is House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc. The question is whether Republican leaders Bill Frist and Denny Hastert will step in and ensure the report's publication, or whether they'll just sigh and look the other way.

We need to play nice with the DemonRATS if we are the party bringing the country together. Oh I forgot, we are the party of evil corruption!! /sarcasm

[Wake75]

But in fact, the NSA had been monitoring private telephone conversations on a much larger scale throughout the 1990s - all of it done without a court order, let alone a catalyst like the 9/11 attacks.

Of course, this breach of civil liberties was justified to prevent an event like 9-11

[RegulatorCountry]

"Remember those long lists of keywords that flag emails?"

Yep.

[Jess Kitting]

Don't forget the FBI files that the Clintons had on anyone who opposed them.

[scott7278]

Just posted:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1543118/posts?page=1

[STARWISE]

Yup ... remind Rush, Sean, Neil, Brit, BOR, Savage, etc. to BLAST IT .. maybe even Wolf wouldn't mind a little truth and reality. AND WE HADN'T EVEN BEEN ATTACKED!!Or been led to believe that there ANY risk to US by the slimy XXX42 sham.

[Go Gordon]

BTTT