This has got to be one of the most irresponsible slanted stories I've read in a long time.
AP NEW YORK -
President Bush' President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States — without getting search warrants — following the Sept. 11 attacks, The New York Times reports.
No crap we were attacked and are in a state of WAR I guess the Times thinks we should just close our eyes and ears and wait for the second shoe to drop.
The presidential order, which Bush signed in 2002, has allowed the agency to monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States, according to a story posted Thursday on the Times' Web site.
Well good that means they were taking their jobs seriously not like the days of Clinton when people like Gorelick built walls to tie our hands and protect TERRORISTS here in this country.
Before the new program began, the NSA typically limited its domestic surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court orders to do so. Under the post-Sept. 11 program, the NSA has eavesdropped, without warrants, on as many 500 people inside the United States at any given time. Overseas, 5,000 to 7,000 people suspected of terrorist ties are monitored at one time.
Once again DUH we are at WAR and we need to know what our enemies are up to.
The Times said reporters interviewed nearly a dozen current and former administration officials about the program and granted them anonymity because of the classified nature of the program.
Government officials credited the new program with uncovering several terrorist plots, including one by Iyman Faris, an Ohio trucker who pleaded guilty in 2003 to supporting al-Qaida by planning to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge, the report said.
In other words the program was working and led to arrests that protected American citizens.
But some NSA officials were so concerned about the legality of the program that they refused to participate, the Times said.
Why don't they name names? or don't these people exist?
Questions about the legality of the program led the administration to temporarily suspend it last year and impose new restrictions.
Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of the
American Civil Liberties Union' American Civil Liberties Union, said the group's initial reaction to the disclosure was "shock that the administration has gone so far in violating American civil liberties to the extent where it seems to be a violation of federal law."
A Presidential Order supercedes Law thats what its for. The ACLU would rather see the Brooklyn Bridge destroyed and 100s dead than allow the government to do its' job and protect us.
Asked about the administration's contention that the eavesdropping has disrupted terrorist attacks, Fredrickson said the ACLU couldn't comment until it sees some evidence. "They've veiled these powers in secrecy so there's no way for Congress or any independent organizations to exercise any oversight."
Bullshit in other words the ACLU does not care whether or not it stops acts of Terror.
The Bush administration had briefed congressional leaders about the program and notified the judge in charge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the secret Washington court that handles national security issues.
In other words the Administration did its requirements for oversight.
Aides to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte and West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, declined to comment Thursday night.
Not even Rockefeller who is not a friend of this Administration would side with the ACLU about this.
The Times said it delayed publication of the report for a year because the White House said it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. The Times said it omitted information from the story that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists.
Gee thats nice the Times acted as it should to not jeapordize lives and ongoing operations. Its a shame the ACLU can't even care about that.
UPDATE...
Apparently it has been disclosed that not only is this a false story it is a chapter out of a book by this reporter that is being released in 10 days. The books publisher is also part of the same company that owns CBS and the NewsPaper. You can expect to also see a review and interview on 60 Minuts..Just as this company did when it published Richard C. Clarks book.... Why is none of this a surprise.
PS I first posted this story last nite at 12:34am est so some of you may have read it.
Update #2 Michelle Malkin does a better job at this story than I do please go read her info also. Thanks The Troll
No comments:
Post a Comment