NSA Whistleblower Alleges Illegal Spying

Russell Tice, a longtime insider at the National Security Agency, is now a whistleblower the agency would like to keep quiet.

For 20 years, Tice worked in the shadows as he helped the United States spy on other people's conversations around the world.

"I specialized in what's called special access programs," Tice said of his job. "We called them 'black world' programs and operations."

But now, Tice tells ABC News that some of those secret "black world" operations run by the NSA were operated in ways that he believes violated the law. He is prepared to tell Congress all he knows about the alleged wrongdoing in these programs run by the Defense Department and the National Security Agency in the post-9/11 efforts to go after terrorists.

"The mentality was we need to get these guys, and we're going to do whatever it takes to get them," he said.

Tice says the technology exists to track and sort through every domestic and international phone call as they are switched through centers, such as one in New York, and to search for key words or phrases that a terrorist might use.

"If you picked the word 'jihad' out of a conversation," Tice said, "the technology exists that you focus in on that conversation, and you pull it out of the system for processing."

According to Tice, intelligence analysts use the information to develop graphs that resemble spiderwebs linking one suspect's phone number to hundreds or even thousands more.

President Bush has admitted that he gave orders that allowed the NSA to eavesdrop on a small number of Americans without the usual requisite warrants.

But Tice disagrees. He says the number of Americans subject to eavesdropping by the NSA could be in the millions if the full range of secret NSA programs is used.

"That would mean for most Americans that if they conducted, or you know, placed an overseas communication, more than likely they were sucked into that vacuum," Tice said.

The same day The New York Times broke the story of the NSA eavesdropping without warrants, Tice surfaced as a whistleblower in the agency. He told ABC News that he was a source for the Times' reporters. But Tice maintains that his conscience is clear.

"As far as I'm concerned, as long as I don't say anything that's classified, I'm not worried," he said. "We need to clean up the intelligence community. We've had abuses, and they need to be addressed."

The NSA revoked Tice's security clearance in May of last year based on what it called psychological concerns and later dismissed him. Tice calls that bunk and says that's the way the NSA deals with troublemakers and whistleblowers. Today the NSA said it had "no information to provide."

The MRC's Brad Wilmouth corrected the closed-captioning against the video for the January 10 World News Tonight story:

Bob Woodruff: "Good evening, everyone. We begin tonight with exclusive new information about the National Security Agency spying controversy and one of the men who knows a great deal about it. The New York Times first reported last month that the Bush administration had authorized the NSA to eavesdrop on certain U.S. citizens without a warrant. The Justice Department has launched an investigation into who leaked that information. One of the people who believes he is being targeted by the probe is a former NSA official who now wants to tell Congress exactly what he knows about the surveillance program. ABC's chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross joins us now with this exclusive report. Brian?"

Brian Ross: "Bob, the man you're about to hear is a former NSA insider who is now a whistleblower, eager to tell Congress all he knows and to tell us what he can without revealing any classified secrets. For the last 20 years, Russ Tice has worked in the shadows helping the United States spy on other people's conversations around the world."
Russ Tice, in session with Ross in a dimly-lit room: "I specialize in what's called special access programs. We call them black world programs in our operations."
Ross: "Tice now says some of those secret black world programs run by the NSA were operated in ways that violated the law."
Tice: "It's drummed into your head that you will not spy against Americans."
Ross: "But you're saying you saw things and are aware of things that were done unlawfully at the NSA."
Tice: "I believe so, yes."
Ross: "Tice says the technology exists to track and sort through every domestic and international phone call as they're switched through centers like this one in New York and search for key words or phrases that terrorists might use."
Tice: "If you pick the word jihad out of a conversation, the technology exists that you focus in on that conversation, and you pull it out of the system."
Ross: "Tice says intelligence analysts then develop graphs called spider webs, like these, linking one suspect's phone number to hundreds or thousands more."
Tice: "What associations of numbers does that number call and you make little spiders from each one of those points to determine, you know, where those communications are going."
Ross: "President Bush has admitted he gave orders allowing the NSA to eavesdrop on a small number of Americans without court warrants."
George W. Bush at a military base on New Year's weekend: "It's a vital, necessary program."
Ross: "But Tice says the number of Americans subject to eavesdropping by the NSA could be in the millions if the full range of secret NSA programs was used."
Tice: "That would mean for most Americans that if they conducted or, you know, placed overseas communications, more than likely they were sucked into that vacuum."
Ross: "Tice surfaced as a whistleblower on the same day the New York Times broke the story of the NSA eavesdropping without warrants. Tice told ABC News he was one of the Times' dozen anonymous sources."
Ross to Tice: "Are you concerned you could be prosecuted and sent to prison for talking to the New York Times and talking to us today?"
Tice: "As far as I'm concerned, as long as I don't say anything that's classified, I'm not worried."
Ross, at the anchor desk: "Tice lost his job last May after the NSA revoked his security clearances citing psychological concerns. Nevertheless, the NSA is very concerned. In this letter sent to Tice today, the NSA said he should not testify before Congress because, Bob, none of the staff members on Capitol Hill are classified secret enough to hear what he has to say."
Woodruff: "The heat is on. All right, thank you, Brian. Brian Ross tonight."

Woodruff went on to plug more, on Tuesday's Nightline, from Ross on the same story.

ABCNews.com has posted a version of the Ross story, "NSA Whistleblower Alleges Illegal Spying: Former Employee Admits to Being a New York Times Source." See: abcnews.go.com

Tri-anchor Cynthia McFadden teased the Tuesday Nightline, "Tonight on Nightline: The insider. He blew the whistle on the government's secret eavesdropping program. Now he says millions of Americans were spied on. An ABC News 'exclusive.'"

Setting up the lead story from Ross, McFadden backtracked from how million of Americans "were" spied on to how it "may have" happened: "We're learning much more tonight about the government's secret program to eavesdrop on the U.S. It may have involved spying on millions of Americans, not just a few highly suspicious characters. That's according to the whistleblower, who speaks exclusively to ABC News tonight. A man who may now face a government investigation for his candor."

The two parts of the Nightline version of the Ross story which did not air on World News Tonight:

# Brian Ross: "Did you reveal to the New York Times any classified information?"
Tice: "No, no. I've not told them anything classified."
Ross: "But you have talked with them?"
Tice: "I've talked with them, yes."
Ross: "Do you regret doing that?"
Tice: "No, I don't regret that at all. I'm bringing out some things that need to be addressed. We need to clean up the intelligence community. We've had abuses, and they need to be addressed."

# Ross: "Intercepting the conversations and communications between Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda deputies and followers around the world, including in the U.S., has been a high priority since the 9/11 attacks and a huge success, according to Tice."
Ross to Tice: "Wouldn't that potentially save American lives, stop terror attacks?"
Tice: "Sure, yeah. It potentially could."
Ross: "So what's wrong with that?"
Tice: "If we basically come to the conclusion that we don't mind spying on millions of Americans to find, you know, a few bad eggs or some terrorists, then -- and that's the consensus, then okay. But I think you have to pretty much re-write the bill of rights and change the laws around to adjust for that."

http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2006/cyb20060111.asp#1

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