Posted on 12/23/2005 8:05:47 PM PST by MindBender26
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 - The National Security Agency has traced and analyzed large volumes of telephone and Internet communications flowing into and out of the United States as part of the eavesdropping program that President Bush approved after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to hunt for evidence of terrorist activity, according to current and former government officials.
The volume of information harvested from telecommunication data and voice networks, without court-approved warrants, is much larger than the White House has acknowledged, the officials said. It was collected by tapping directly into some of the American telecommunication system's main arteries, they said.
MORE
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
DU Deja Vu? You need to stop listening to air america...
There is a three day window for the Government to go to F.I.S.A for a warrant "after the fact" in cases that require immediate attention. I think that is more then enough window. The only reason to avoid a secret court warrant in such a case would be if the domestic wiretap was done absent probable cause and the wiretap itself failed to produce probable cause for the Government to have done it to begin with.
How can you ask a court for a warrant for a linetap that you have already done that produced no probable cause for doing it in the first place?
"Cop walking past a house. Smells gasoline. Worries about fire. Breaks into house. Nothing wrong with that.
Even if he finds heroin while looking for the gasoline, the charge sticks."
What if that house isn't where the gas leak is? The gas is coming from the one next door. Wrong house, throw it out.
We could play these games all day. I think we have a Constitution and a legal system because the Founders wanted one and wanted the government to follow it so they wouldn't encroach on the citizens rights and liberties. I like their ideas and I don't care for it when officials overstep their authority.
In my opinion, had the President obtained warrants first, we wouldn't be having this debate and his reputation would be much glossier than it is today.
The history of the Espionage Act is fascinating.
But keep in mind that the only was a secret stays such is that the person who has the secret, keeps it. No blabbing. In general, the media has zero secrets, and certainly can't be trusted to keep information confidential.
OK, thanks for the clarification. But "probable cause" is related to what? What happens if the DOJ decides it needs to go fishing so to speak because a person is suspected of associating with terrorists, but the DOJ has no reason to believe they are associated with a particular crime? Can that jusify a warrant?
I agree that if the press wants to see what happens to leakers that Gonzales and the Justice Department should hold the Mother of All Grand Juries and indict alot of people including the traitors that run the NY Slimes and their cohorts in the Rat party that hold postions in congress and the CIA/FBI that are leaking this stuff.
MAKE THE PLAME STUFF LOOK LIKE CHICKEN FEED, GOP!!!!
Get with it!
"I believe those quotes are about internal communications and the Patriot Act. As the NY Times reports, this article is about international communications."
What would you think if you wrote a letter to your Dad 'who was working in Iraq ' and the postal officials opened the letter before forwarding on?
They could claim that they were protecting America, you know just making sure you weren't sending classified information to a foreign country.
>What if that house isn't where the gas leak is? The gas is coming from the one next door. Wrong house, throw it out.
Actually, no. It stands on "good faith."
The major mistake here is that we are confusing "search" (to produce evidence) with "action" to protect citizens.
"Preserve, protect and defend" Actions legal all day
They (the gov) better track down the source of these leaks!
That defense didn't work for the Police Chief in NOLA when he wanted to take away the guns.
If the gov't wanted to find the source, I'm sure they could but how many laws would be violated in doing so?
All actions will produce a reaction and I guess this is one of them. LOL
You show me the law that Bush has broken, cite the specific and then we will talk. No law has been broken and I suggest you review the specific authority granted to the CIC under the Constitution. Have a Merry Christmas as I cannot possibly think about the BYT and MSM, and certain citizens wanted to destroy this country and this President on a day like today. Bye.
Yes. There is a 72 hour window. But the circumstances are limited, and the hoops are set higher (the phrase "emergency" comes into play).
50 USC 1805(f)
the BYT ??
If we could get rid of the Progressives in our Congress and the Senate we would all be much safer.
Merry Christmas to you and your family. Fight to keep America strong.
We have laws that cover just about every circumstance we can imagine. Too many laws IMO but then common sense isn't that common anymore, so I guess we need them.
Congress and the Courts have done a spectacular job of confusing issues.
I agree, we do have too many statutes.
"The NYT claims to have a source for this classified information."
Bush did say that there will be an investigation.
This has to stop now. When will our leaders wake up and start going after these leakers and the people who willfully publish this cr@p and put their @$$es in jail for a long time. I was watching McLaughlin last night and all I heard was that old prune Eleanor Clift and that jerk Laurence O'Donnell going ga-ga over Patrick Fitzgerald and that stupid leak case. I'm so sick of hearing about Plame I could throw up! I could give a damn less about her and her blowhard husband. It seems these media types and the DNC are only concerned about protecting two big DNC donors like the Plame/Wilsons. What about protecting the rest of us? Excuse my venom, I've been holding this in and had to vent. My disgust for journalists (in addition to my two worthless Senators-Boxer & Franken-feinstein) has reached an all time high with this garbage.
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