AT&T Sued Over Spying
Spying on American Citizens
AT&T sued over alleged role in NSA surveillance program
A San Francisco-based digital civil-liberties group has filed a class-action lawsuit against San Antonio-based AT&T Inc. seeking to end the telecom giant's alleged participation in a domestic surveillance program being carried out by the National Security Agency (NSA). The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed the litigation on behalf of three California residents that the EFF claims represent the millions of AT&T customers potentially affected by the eavesdropping program. The lawsuit alleges AT&T has and is continuing to collaborate with the NSA by providing the agency with access to the company's databases and disclosing the contents of its customers' communications without a court-issued warrant.
Senators Should Subpoena Phone Companies
The National Security Agency has secured the cooperation of large telecommunications companies, including AT&T, MCI and Sprint, in its efforts to eavesdrop without warrants on international calls by suspected terrorists, according to seven telecommunications executives. The executives asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the program. AT&T, MCI and Sprint had no official comment.
Attention in N.S.A. Debate Turns to Telecom Industry
WASHINGTON -- Though much of official Washington has been caught up in the debate over the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program, one set of major players has kept a discreet silence: the telecommunications corporations. Some companies are said by current and former government officials to have provided the eavesdropping agency access to streams of telephone and Internet traffic entering and leaving the United States. The N.S.A. has used its powerful computers to search the masses of data for clues to terrorist plots and, without court warrants, zeroed in on some Americans for eavesdropping, those officials say.
Lawmaker Questions Value of Spy Program
WASHINGTON -- The House Intelligence Committee chairman on Sunday questioned the value of President Bush's secret eavesdropping program, saying al-Qaida undoubtedly has changed its means of communication to avoid Washington's monitoring. Bush said two weeks ago in his State of the Union address that the program of monitoring calls and e-mail between the United States and suspected terrorist associates overseas "remains essential to the security of America." But Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., suggested that the public disclosure of the program's existence in December in the New York Times has undermined its effectiveness.
Inquiry Into Wiretapping Article Widens
WASHINGTON -- Federal agents have interviewed officials at several of the country's law enforcement and national security agencies in a rapidly expanding criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding a New York Times article published in December that disclosed the existence of a highly classified domestic eavesdropping program, according to government officials. The investigation, which appears to cover the case from 2004, when the newspaper began reporting the story, is being closely coordinated with criminal prosecutors at the Justice Department, the officials said. People who have been interviewed and others in the government who have been briefed on the interviews said the investigation seemed to lay the groundwork for a grand jury inquiry that could lead to criminal charges.
Spying Necessary, Democrats Say
But Harman, Daschle Question President's Legal Reach
Two key Democrats yesterday called the NSA domestic surveillance program necessary for fighting terrorism but questioned whether President Bush had the legal authority to order it done without getting congressional approval. Rep. Jane Harman (Calif.), ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and former Senate majority leader Thomas A. Daschle (S.D.) said Republicans are trying to create a political issue over Democrats' concern on the constitutional questions raised by the spying program.
Republican Speaks Up, Leading Others to Challenge Wiretaps
WASHINGTON -- When Representative Heather A. Wilson broke ranks with President Bush on Tuesday to declare her "serious concerns" about domestic eavesdropping, she gave voice to what some fellow Republicans were thinking, if not saying. Now they are speaking up — and growing louder.
Lawmakers Seek Oversight of Bush Spying Program
WASHINGTON -- Democrat and Republican lawmakers called on Thursday for stronger congressional oversight of President George W. Bush's domestic spying program, despite a new White House gesture of openness toward Congress. A day after the White House began sharing details of the program with the two congressional intelligence committees, Republican Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio said Congress still needed to adopt new legislation to ensure the program was legal under the Constitution.
Bush's Warrantless Wiretapping Program is Illegal and Unconstitutional
Congress has lost its way if we don't hold this President accountable for his actions. The President suggests that anyone who criticizes his illegal wiretapping program doesn't understand the threat we face. But we do. Every single one of us is committed to stopping the terrorists who threaten us and our families. Defeating the terrorists should be our top national priority, and we all agree that we need to wiretap them to do it. In fact, it would be irresponsible not to wiretap terrorists. But we have yet to see any reason why we have to trample the laws of the United States to do it.
Polls Show Many Americans Are Simply Dumber Than Bush
Two recent polls, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll and a New York Times/CBS News poll, indicate why Bush is getting away with impeachable offenses. Half of the US population is incapable of acquiring, processing and understanding information. Much of the problem is the media itself, which serves as a disinformation agency for the Bush administration. Fox "News" and right-wing talk radio are the worst, but with propagandistic outlets setting the standard for truth and patriotism, all of the media is affected to some degree.
The terror of President Bush: How one word granted one man so much power and control
Following accelerating criticism that the Bush Administration's domestic spying program violated every possible U.S. law and Constitutional amendment, the Bush Administration has now renamed its blatantly illegal domestic spying program the "terrorist surveillance program." Fox News has already adopted the moniker, resorting to classic Orwellian Newsspeak to convince viewers that since this illegal government operation contains the word "terrorist," it must be okay.
Fox still echoing administration's "terrorist surveillance program" label; regional newspapers follow suit
Summary: Fox News reporters and anchors have increased their use of the Bush administration's term for its warrantless domestic spying program, which it calls a "terrorist [or terror] surveillance program," in their reporting and commentary. Some regional newspapers appear to be following Fox's lead. As Media Matters for America has previously noted, not long after the Bush administration adopted new rhetoric to describe its warrantless domestic surveillance program, Fox News reporters and anchors began using the White House's terminology -- referring to it as a "terrorist surveillance program" or "terror surveillance program."
No Surveillance Without Court Approval, Say Americans
Many adults in the United States think their federal government should not be able to monitor specific conversations without a warrant, according to a poll by the University of Connecticut.
Posted by Editor at February 13, 2006 11:58 AM
