AT&T sued over NSA spy program

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That you don't keep up with the news is not my problem

""We do not know for sure when the letter was written or for what purpose.""

Here is the letter:


"July 17, 2003
Dear Mr. Vice President,

I am writing to reiterate my concern regarding the
sensitive intelligence issues we discussed today with the DCI, DIRNSA, and Chairman Roberts and our House Intelligence Committee counterparts.
Clearly the activities we discussed raise profound
oversight issues. As you know, I am neither a technician or an attorney. Given the security restrictions associated with this information, and my inability to consult staff or counsel on my own, I feel unable to fully evaluate, much less endorse these activities.As I reflected on the meeting today, and the future we face, John Poindexter's TIA project sprung to mind, exacerbating my concern regarding the direction the Administration is moving with regard to security, technology, and surveiliance.Without more information and the ability to draw on any
independent legal or techical expertise, I simply cannot satisfy lingering concerns raised by the briefing we received.

I am retaining a copy of this letter in a sealed
envelope in the secure spaces of the Senate Intelligence Committee to ensure that I have a record of this communication.

I appreciate your consideration of my views.

Most respectfully,

Jay Rockefeller"


It is common practice to only brief a small portion of the leadership in cases of National Security. The audience is limited to prevent leaks. This has been going on well before the Bush administration and in and of itself proves nothing!

Here I don't believe you and you will have to provide proof that what you say is so. Because the question arises; How can Congress conduct their oversight duties if they are not informed of what is going on. While I do see the point in not briefing the whole Congress I believe the normal practice has been to brief the committes charged with oversight, specifically in this case the House and Senate intelligence committees. Not just the ranking members as was done by the Bush administration.

""You'll have to provide me with a source for this fairy tale. In any case it was not what the President authorized. It is hard to hold him responsible for an agency doing something he didn't authorize.""

I don't do fairytales but apparently you do here is the notice from the NSA. BTW even if he didn't authorize it he apparently was briefed as to what would happen.

The National Security Agency
Declassified

Internet wiretapping mixes "protected" and targeted messages,
Info Age requires rethinking 4th Amendment limits and policies,
National Security Agency told Bush administration

"Transition 2001" report released through FOIA,
Highlights collection of declassified NSA documents

Posted on Web by National Security Archive, GWU

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 24

Edited by Jeffrey Richelson

Originally Posted - January 13, 2000

Updated - March 11, 2005


Washington, D.C., March 11, 2005 - The largest U.S. spy agency warned the incoming Bush administration in its "Transition 2001" report that the Information Age required rethinking the policies and authorities that kept the National Security Agency in compliance with the Constitution's 4th Amendment prohibition on "unreasonable searches and seizures" without warrant and "probable cause," according to an updated briefing book of declassified NSA documents posted today on the World Wide Web.

Wiretapping the Internet inevitably picks up mail and messages by Americans that would be "protected" under legal interpretations of the NSA's mandate in effect since the 1970s, according to the documents that were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by Dr. Jeffrey Richelson, senior fellow of the National Security Archive at George Washington University.


""No, what this flap is all about is the left's hatred for this President. It is about politicising national security. The President has been accused of everything from lying about WMD's to being the real mastermind behind 911. In the end, there will be no findings of wrong doing and no legal actions taken. A recent poll shows that 70+% of Americans are behind the President on this. This is just another failed attempt to demonize the man.""

You will have to show me this fairytale poll you are talking about.

As for politicising national security that in my opinion is pure BS. The NYT sat on the story for a year before finally revealing it and they warned Bush before they finally did. As for the lying, I won't say that Bush himself directly lied but others in is administration certainly did. Rumsfeld: Saddam has weapons of mass destruction and we know exactly where they are at. (News conference with Tim Russert) Dick Cheny: There is absolutely no doubt that Sadddam has weapons of mass destruction and that he is trying to reconstitute his nuclear weapons program. Just to name a couple.

Just as a last thought, close your eyes for a minute think about all the evidence and charges and admissions Bush as made and now imagine that it was Clinton that did it.

BTW I disliked Clinton too and we can get into a long discussion about his transgressions also, just don't start with the "your just a liberal that hates Bush" routine cause it won't fly with me.

Posted by: Looneytoon   Posted on: 02/01/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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