Posted on 06/20/2013 3:22:58 PM PDT by SE Mom
Top secret documents submitted to the court that oversees surveillance by US intelligence agencies show the judges have signed off on broad orders which allow the NSA to make use of information "inadvertently" collected from domestic US communications without a warrant.
The Guardian is publishing in full two documents submitted to the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (known as the Fisa court), signed by Attorney General Eric Holder and stamped 29 July 2009. They detail the procedures the NSA is required to follow to target "non-US persons" under its foreign intelligence powers and what the agency does to minimize data collected on US citizens and residents in the course of that surveillance.
The documents show that even under authorities governing the collection of foreign intelligence from foreign targets, US communications can still be collected, retained and used.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
Just popped up on Drudge
FOREIGN Intelligence Surveillance Court (known as the Fisa court )
That says it all !!
"Inadvertently"...that's like "Unexpected"
We have not so secret rules that govern our country.
We call it the Constitution
Why is Eric Holder signing off on these documents?
If it is an NSA program, why is the Attorney General involved?
Shouldn’t this be under the direction of Homeland Security?
And further it says:
However, alongside those provisions, the Fisa court-approved policies allow the NSA to:
Keep data that could potentially contain details of US persons for up to five years;
Retain and make use of “inadvertently acquired” domestic communications if they contain usable intelligence, information on criminal activity, threat of harm to people or property, are encrypted, or are believed to contain any information relevant to cybersecurity;
Preserve “foreign intelligence information” contained within attorney-client communications;
Access the content of communications gathered from “U.S. based machine[s]” or phone numbers in order to establish if targets are located in the US, for the purposes of ceasing further surveillance
I’m sorry, the Constitution and Bill of Rights have not been amended! That is what it would take to allow warrantless searches! Whatever “law” was passed to allow such a thing is completely invalid as those that passed it had not the authority to do so.
” Access the content of communications gathered from “U.S. based machine[s]” or phone numbers in order to establish if targets are located in the US, for the purposes of ceasing further surveillance.”
That is really interesting, especially in light of this paraphrase:
“Oh, no, we are not listening to conversations.” - Barak Obama.
Lie on top of lie on top of lie on top of lie......
Won't be long now.
Well see, it’s a secret program signed off on by secret judges. What could go wrong? !
Surprise!!!! FISA courts are are a rubberstamp!
Are we still wondering if Snowden is a hero or traitor?
What a relief. I was worried that it wouldn’t be narrowly focused...
He’s a traitor. Had he gone to the Intelligence Committees first, then Congress as a whole, then to US media, no one would say anything bad about him.
I seem to recall a certain revulsion against general warrants back in the 1775-1789 time period....
This is prep for the embarrassing conversations that will be released shortly. Those conversations will prove that they didn’t even follow these loose standards and that they store content.
Heres the kicker:
Even if upon examination a communication is found to be domestic entirely within the US the NSA can appeal to its director to keep what it has found if it contains “significant foreign intelligence information”, “evidence of a crime”, “technical data base information” (such as encrypted communications), or “information pertaining to a threat of serious harm to life or property”
Or James Rosen...or AP...or.
Every phone call in the US is recorded and "electronically" vacuumed for keywords.
Shortened... EVERY PHONE CALL BY CITIZENS IN THE UNITED STATES IS RECORDED.
If he went to “intelligence” with his concerns, he'd be immediately cut off and investigated. Every single keystroke and communication analyzed. Then one of two things would happen:
1. If it was found that he took documents home, he'd be prosecuted immediately, silenced and not have the chance to tell anyone else. Anyone he communicated with after downloading the documents would be investigated.
2. If they found he took no documents, he'd be quickly fired and the government would deny anything he claims. Just another “internet conspiracy theorist” with no proof
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.