It is perfectly legal to monitor a phone call (or email) of person in America if it is being made to a suspect overseas whose email or phone is being monitored. That is what the above quote from the NY times article indicates is being talked about. The construction of this as "eavesdrop(ing) on Americans" is a blatant lie.
What is the NSA supposed to do when monitoring the Al Qaeda suspects phone and email outside the US, which is legal, when a call or email comes in from the US? plug their ears or cover their eyes?
This is 100% BS, manufactured by the friends of Joe Wilson and George Soros (and Al Qaeda).
The proof of that is that the story was embargoed for a year and brought out just in time for the Iraqi elections. I'd bet the farm that the "former officials" are associated with the VIPS group (Ray McGovern, Larry Johnson, Vincent Cannistraro, et al)that are Wilson's staunchest defenders.