Posted on 05/11/2006 10:25:46 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - President Bush did not confirm or deny a newspaper report Thursday that the National Security Agency was collecting records of tens of millions of ordinary Americans' phone calls.
"Our intelligence activities strictly target al-Qaida and their known affiliates," Bush said. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans."
USA Today, based on anonymous sources it said had direct knowledge of the arrangement, reported that AT&T Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., and BellSouth Corp. began turning over records of Americans' phone calls to the NSA shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Bush said any domestic intelligence-gathering measures he's approved are "lawful," and he says "appropriate" members of Congress have been briefed.
The disclosure could complicate Bush's bid to win confirmation of former NSA director Gen. Michael Hayden as CIA director.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats demanded answers from the Bush administration Thursday about a government spy agency secretly collecting records of ordinary Americans' phone calls to build a database of every call made within the country.
The top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said he was shocked by the revelation about the NSA.
"It is our government, it's not one party's government. It's America's government. Those entrusted with great power have a duty to answer to Americans what they are doing," Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record) of Vermont.
The Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania, said he would call the phone companies to appear before the panel in pursuit of what had transpired.
"We're really flying blind on the subject and that's not a good way to approach the Fourth Amendment and the constitutional issues involving privacy," Specter said of domestic surveillance in general.
The companies said Thursday that they are protecting customers' privacy but have an obligation to assist law enforcement and government agencies in ensuring the nation's security. "We prize the trust our customers place in us. If and when AT&T is asked to help, we do so strictly within the law and under the most stringent conditions," the company said in a statement, echoed by the others.
Bush said that U.S. intelligence targets terrorists and that the government does not listen to domestic telephone calls without court approval and that Congress has been briefed on intelligence programs.
He vowed to do everything in his power to fight terror and "we will do so within the laws of our country."
On Capitol Hill, several lawmakers expressed incredulity about the program, with some Republicans questioning the rationale and legal underpinning and several Democrats railing about the lack of congressional oversight.
"I don't know enough about the details except that I am willing to find out because I'm not sure why it would be necessary to keep and have that kind of information," said House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record), R-S.C., told Fox News Channel: "The idea of collecting millions or thousands of phone numbers, how does that fit into following the enemy?"
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said bringing the telephone companies before the Judiciary Committee is an important step.
"We need more. We need to take this seriously, more seriously than some other matters that might come before the committee because our privacy as American citizens is at stake," Durbin said.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), R-Ala., argued that the program "is not a warrantless wiretapping of the American people. I don't think this action is nearly as troublesome as being made out here, because they are not tapping our phones."
The program does not involve listening to or taping the calls. Instead it documents who talks to whom in personal and business calls, whether local or long distance, by tracking which numbers are called, the newspaper said.
The NSA and the Office of National Intelligence Director did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
NSA spokesman Don Weber said in an e-mailed statement that given the nature of the agency's work, it would be "irresponsible to comment on actual or alleged operations issues." He added, "the NSA takes its legal responsibilities seriously and operates within the law."
NSA is the same spy agency that conducts the controversial domestic eavesdropping program that had been acknowledged earlier by Bush. The president said last year that he authorized the NSA to listen, without warrants, to international phone calls involving Americans suspected of terrorist links.
The report came as Hayden — Bush's choice to take over leadership of the CIA — had been scheduled to visit lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday. However, the meetings with Republican Sens. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were postponed at the request of the White House, said congressional aides in the two Senate offices.
The White House offered no reason for the postponement to the lawmakers. Other meetings with lawmakers were still planned.
Hayden already faced criticism because of the NSA's secret domestic eavesdropping program. As head of the NSA from March 1999 to April 2005, Hayden also would have overseen the call-tracking program.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., who has spoken favorably of the nomination, said the latest revelation "is also going to present a growing impediment to the confirmation of Gen. Hayden."
The NSA wants the database of domestic call records to look for any patterns that might suggest terrorist activity, USA Today said.
Don Weber, a senior spokesman for the NSA, told the paper that the agency operates within the law, but would not comment further on its operations.
One big telecommunications company, Qwest, has refused to turn over records to the program, the newspaper said, because of privacy and legal concerns.
Qwest, preferred telecommunication carrier of Jihadists.
I'm guessing this reporter doesn't think there are al-Qaida/terrorist cells in the US
I should have put a Barf Alert up.
It's a lot of twaddle and hype and hysterics over an issue that is being played for political propaganda purposes only.
This kind of information is some of the most boring stuff in the world,, if folks really buy into their being harmed in the least by the dissection of the call records,, very few even know what the heck they are or comprise to start with.
Sometimes it makes ya wonder if some of the press aren't AQ, we know enough about AP and the MSM in general already and where their sympathies lay.
It's still a free country. Isn't it? I believe the President is doing this for what he believes are the right reasons, but I've reached my limit on how much freedom I'm willing to give up to feel "secure".
Will the next Democrat elected to the Presidency have such pure motives?
Or that their right to privacy outweighs any potential threat they may pose.
Notice that Sen. Cute as a Button was the ONLY one interviewed that read the article and saw what it was...
Boehner, Specter, Graham should be ashamed of themselves for even making a comment without knowing what this really is...
BUT, of course Reuters had to have a headline that made it look like Bush was HIDING shenanigans...sheesh
The Israeli's have determined that the incineration of a few of it's civilians every month is an acceptable price to pay to "co-exist" with the monkeys in "faux-palestine".
I see us doing the same.
Sure sound like a denial to me. The ONLY people claiming it wasn't are the pro Terrorist propagandists in the Junk Media and their Lords and Masters at the Democrat National Committee.
Yea .. well these newspapers don't seem to have a problem selling their list of names and phone numbers to anyone who wants to buy them
USA Today NSA Scoop Not News
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1630591/posts
Bush: Intelligence activities lawful
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Thursday said intelligence activities he has authorized are lawful and the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval.
"The privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities. We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," Bush said.
The president came out to defend the administration's domestic spy program after USA Today reported the National Security Agency was secretly collecting phone records of tens of millions of Americans from phone companies to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity.
"The intelligence activities I authorized are lawful and have been briefed to appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat," Bush said.
Revelation late last year that the NSA was eavesdropping inside the United States on international phone calls and e-mail of terrorism suspects prompted an political uproar. Bush did not say the report was inaccurate.
Bush said, "Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates."
The Govt could CARE LESS about what you are doing as LONG as your are not actively conspiring with know Terrorists. Then they ARE going to keep an eye on you since by conspiring with our foes you have voluntarily surrendered your Constitutional Rights and declared yourself an enemy of US Civil Society.
WE the people have a right, via the agency of our Government, to be protected from those who would do us harm. Those who act as enemies of our society do NOT get to hide behind the Constitution they are trying to destroy. Conspire with Al Qeda and you are no longer a member of, but an enemy of, our Civil Society and must bear the consequence of your actions.
I saw an article a few years back on the software used to do this ....
Basically...one comes under suspicion by the (phone) connections one has.
NSA takes a known bag guy... and traces who he calls....let's say he calls 10 people a week, no problemo.
The computer image literally "draws a line" to those that he called. Now you take these 10 people... and the software traces who THEY call, and on and on...
So perhaps you are 12 people removed from the original "bad guy"...you are still effectively linked to him. This is where it gets sticky....as one poster points out...it depends on how fine a scope they put on the software.....as to if you'll fall under the watchful eye of NSA...and perhaps get a warrant issued to tap your phone. It COULD be construed as "guilt by association". But, and this is a big deal... maybe you've never actually met the "bad guy".
Sorry.,..I am really embarrassed here...
NO, I got the news service wrong, I was intending to reference the headline on the article YOU posted, this one.
However, I wrote down Reuters, when it was AP, instead.
Thanks for correcting me, NICELY!!
The question is whether there is judicial oversight while the executive branch collects data? If no, then this may be a constitutional issue.
Qwest, has refused to turn over records to the program,
Qwest, preferred telecommunication carrier of Jihadists.
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Quest, lover of freedom, respecter of law, profile in courage, patriot.
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