The C.I.A. seized the terrorists' computers, cellphones and personal phone directories, said the officials familiar with the program. The N.S.A. surveillance was intended to exploit those numbers and addresses as quickly as possible, the officials said. In addition to eavesdropping on those numbers and reading e-mail messages to and from the Qaeda figures, the N.S.A. began monitoring others linked to them, creating an expanding chain. While most of the numbers and addresses were overseas, hundreds were in the United States, the officials said.
They were tracking numbers that were tied to confirmed terrorists and according to reports, stopped 3 terrorist attacks within the US. If you think we don't have terrorists within the US, think again. The 9/11 attacks were coordinated in this manner, by terrorists within the US contacting terrorists outside the US via phone and e-mail. The article also states that they did use subpoenas for domestic taps related to those numbers, which would have been conversations between terrorist within the US. Your paranoia that they are going to tap numbers on the average American citizen calling Grandma for Christmas is unfounded. Jack booted thugs...what a joke.