Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

President Bush makes remarks at the Celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Presentation of the President’s Volunteer Service Awards in the East Room of the White House in Washington Friday, May 12, 2006.

ASSociated Press: Bush Defends Scope of Domestic Spying

President Bush defended the scope of the government’s domestic surveillance programs that have riled privacy advocates and threatened to impede the Senate confirmation of Bush’s new pick to lead the CIA.

“The privacy of all Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities,” Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address. “The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. We are not trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans.”

Without specifically confirming the database effort, Bush defended the intelligence activities he has authorized, saying they are focused on al-Qaida terrorists and their affiliates. He reiterated that they are lawful and that appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, have been briefed on the surveillance activities.

“Americans expect their government to do everything in its power under our laws and Constitution to protect them and their civil liberties,” Bush said. “That is exactly what we are doing. And so far, we have been successful in preventing another attack on our soil.”

Flap has NO concerns of his civil liberties being violated and appreciate the government protecting him and his family from terrorist activity.

John Hinderaker over at Power Line has the statuatory language authorizing the telephone data mining.

And, yes, here is a controlling court case:

A quick note to drive-by journalists about NSA illegally collecting telephone records without first obtaining a warrant.

U.S. Supreme Court
SMITH v. MARYLAND,
442 U.S. 735 (1979)
No. 78-5374.
Argued March 28, 1979.
Decided June 20, 1979.

The telephone company, at police request, installed at its central offices a pen register to record the numbers dialed from the telephone at petitioner’s home.
Held: The installation and use of the pen register was not a “search” within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, and hence no warrant was required. Pp. 739-746.

This is an old story, covered in the New York Times coverage in December 2005 and simply a media attempt to discredit President Bush and derail Michael Hayden’s confirmation as CIA Director.

What will be the fall-out?

NOT MUCH.

The lawsuit filed against Verizon Communications will go nowhere.

The Senate Democrats will cry outrage burt will do nothing to interrupt the collection of data and……

America will be safer…..

Discuss this blog post and MORE…. at the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blogs, My Dental Forum.
Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: NSA’s Telephone Data Collection and Analysis Program – Is It LEGAL?

NSA Surveillance Watch: NSA Has Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Calls

NSA Surveillance Watch: Senate Intelligence Committee Decides NOT to Pursue Investigation

NSA Surveillance Watch: Congressional Probe of NSA Surveilance Is in Doubt

NSA Surveillance Watch: Two Lawsuits Filed Today to Seek End of President Bush’s NSA Electronic Surveillance Program

NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify

NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen

NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant

NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack

President Bush Addresses the media after his remarks to employees of the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Md. , Jan. 25, 2006.

Power Line: Is It Legal?

There has been a lot of discussion about the legality of the NSA’s telephone data collection and analysis program, most of it not very illuminating. I haven’t had an opportunity to form an opinion, and I’m not an expert in telecommunications law. In my quick review of what seems to be the relevant law, I’ve encountered several puzzling provisions. But one section I haven’t yet seen cited, which seems relevant, is Title 18, Chapter 121, Section 2709 of the U.S. Code. It specifically allows the government to obtain telephone records for purposes of investigating terrorist threats. Here is Sec. 2709 in its entirety; I have highlighted some of the pertinent language:

§ 2709. Counterintelligence access to telephone toll and transactional records

(a) Duty to provide.–A wire or electronic communication service provider shall comply with a request for subscriber information and toll billing records information, or electronic communication transactional records in its custody or possession made by the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Required certification.–The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or his designee in a position not lower than Deputy Assistant Director at Bureau headquarters or a Special Agent in Charge in a Bureau field office designated by the Director, may–

(1) request the name, address, length of service, and local and long distance toll billing records of a person or entity if the Director (or his designee) certifies in writing to the wire or electronic communication service provider to which the request is made that the name, address, length of service, and toll billing records sought are relevant to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities, provided that such an investigation of a United States person is not conducted solely on the basis of activities protected by the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

(2) request the name, address, and length of service of a person or entity if the Director (or his designee) certifies in writing to the wire or electronic communication service provider to which the request is made that the information sought is relevant to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities, provided that such an investigation of a United States person is not conducted solely upon the basis of activities protected by the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

(c) Prohibition of certain disclosure.–No wire or electronic communication service provider, or officer, employee, or agent thereof, shall disclose to any person that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has sought or obtained access to information or records under this section.

(d) Dissemination by bureau.–The Federal Bureau of Investigation may disseminate information and records obtained under this section only as provided in guidelines approved by the Attorney General for foreign intelligence collection and foreign counterintelligence investigations conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and, with respect to dissemination to an agency of the United States, only if such information is clearly relevant to the authorized responsibilities of such agency.

(e) Requirement that certain congressional bodies be informed.–On a semiannual basis the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall fully inform the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, concerning all requests made under subsection (b) of this section.

So there is no question about the fact that the federal government can obtain anyone’s telephone billing records simply by requesting them, if they are relevant to a terrorism investigation, and the telecom companies “shall comply” with such requests. Under this section, the FBI can pass the phone records on to another government agency, like the NSA, if the information is relevant to that agency’s duties.

Flap doesn’t know if this is the code section that government attorney’s used in their memorandum authorizing the program. Nor, does Flap know if any blanket government request would be permissable under the act. However, it does appear the government has broad powers to ascertain this telephone information if it is relevant to a terrorism investigation.

Now, Senator Specter, will you continue to assist on Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings?

Doubtful…..

Stay tuned as more Bush haters try to drudge up more civil libertarian nonsense to discredit the President and the NSA.

Stay tuned…….

Discuss this blog post and MORE…. at the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blogs, My Dental Forum.
Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: NSA Has Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Calls

NSA Surveillance Watch: Senate Intelligence Committee Decides NOT to Pursue Investigation

NSA Surveillance Watch: Congressional Probe of NSA Surveilance Is in Doubt

NSA Surveillance Watch: Two Lawsuits Filed Today to Seek End of President Bush’s NSA Electronic Surveillance Program

NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify

NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen

NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant

NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack

Gen. Michael Hayden, nominated by President Bush to become the director of the CIA, headed the NSA from March 1999 to April 2005. In that post, Hayden would have overseen the agency’s domestic phone record collection program.

USA Today: NSA has massive database of Americans’ phone calls

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren’t suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

NOTE WELL: This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity.

So, what is the point of another security leak on another “SECRET” government program to combat terrorism?

Answer: Somebody in the CIA or NSA does not want Michael Hayden to be confirmed as Director of the CIA.

The White House Reaction:

The White House defended its overall eavesdropping program and said no domestic surveillance is conducted without court approval.

”The intelligence activities undertaken by the United States government are lawful, necessary and required to protect Americans from terrorist attacks,” said Dana Perino, the deputy White House press secretary, who added that appropriate members of Congress have been briefed on intelligence activities.

But, the Lefties in the United States Senate smell blood in the water…..

ASSociated Press:Paper Reports NSA Collecting Phone Records

Leahy sounded incredulous about the latest report and railed against what he called a lack of congressional oversight. He argued that the media was doing the job of Congress.

“Are you telling me that tens of millions of Americans are involved with al Qaida?” Leahy asked. “These are tens of millions of Americans who are not suspected of anything … Where does it stop?”

The Democrat, who at one point held up a copy of the newspaper, added: “Somebody ought to tell the truth and answer questions. They haven’t. The press has done our work for us and we should be ashamed. Shame on us for being so far behind and being so willing to rubber stamp anything this administration does. We ought to fold our tents.”

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said bringing the telephone companies before the Judiciary Committee is an important step.

“We need more. We need to take this seriously, more seriously than some other matters that might come before the committee because our privacy as American citizens is at stake,” Durbin said.

But, Democrat Senate leaders have been briefed and the NSA programs are within the law. The Democrat Senators have had ample time to either sponsor legislation outlining a modification to the law or file a lawsuit enjoining the President.

But, what have they done?

NOTHING

Why?

Because these secret NSA programs are necessary to defend America from terrorism.

Do they violate Americans’ civil rights and the rights protected under the United States Constitution?

NOPE

And what happens next?

Michael Hayden will have a rough time at his confirmation hearings and Senate Democrats hoping to score political points in the November 2006 elections will bloviate on the Sunday talk shows.

Will the NSA stop these secret programs that protect every day Americans from terrorism?

No Way!

Discuss this blog post and MORE…. at the FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blogs, My Dental Forum.

The National Security Agency (NSA) logo is shown on a computer screen inside the Threat Operations Center at the NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland, January 25, 2006.

From the Blogosphere:

Michelle Malkin: NEWSFLASH: NSA DOING ITS JOB!

Stop the ACLU: New NSA Leaks From USA Today

Outside the Beltway: NSA Has Massive Database of Americans’ Phone Calls

The Volokh Conspiracy: The Other NSA Surveillance Program?

Power Line: NSA Accused of Protecting U.S. From Terrorists 

Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: Senate Intelligence Committee Decides NOT to Pursue Investigation

NSA Surveillance Watch: Congressional Probe of NSA Surveilance Is in Doubt

NSA Surveillance Watch: Two Lawsuits Filed Today to Seek End of President Bush’s NSA Electronic Surveillance Program

NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify

NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen

NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant

NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis)(C) confers with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)(L) and minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) in Reid’s office on Capitol Hill in Washington March 13, 2006, following Feingold’s effort to censure U.S. President George W. Bush over domestic spying. The White House on Monday dismissed as politically motivated a Democratic senator’s attempt to censure President George W. Bush for ordering domestic eavesdropping on U.S. citizens without a warrant.

ASSociated Press: Sen. Durbin Says Censuring Bush Premature

A top Senate Democrat said Sunday that President Bush should be held responsible if he violated the law in authorizing the domestic spy program. But Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said it is too early to tell if either censure or impeachment of Bush would be appropriate.

“I can’t rule anything out until the investigation is complete. I don’t want to prejudge it,” said Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat. “But if this president or any president violates the law, he has to be held accountable.”

Durbin’s colleague, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., last week introduced censure legislation, saying Bush violated the law in not fully informing Congress or getting approval from a secretive court to conduct the eavesdropping program. A censure resolution, if adopted, would amount to Congress scolding the president.

It sounds to Flap that Senator Durbin desires a full fledged debate on Senator Feingold’s resolution. Senate Majority leader Bill Frist has promised such.

“It’s valuable that Senator Feingold is moving us forward to finally be a catalyst to have the kind of hearings and the kind of deliberations as to what lies behind this warrantless wiretap situation,” said Durbin, calling the overall inquiries so far by the Republican-controlled Senate inadequate.

“We have a responsibility to ask the hard questions, to find out what the nature of the program is and whether the president violated the law,” Durbin said.

But, Senator, if you think the NSA Surveillance program is illegal then why have you NOT filed a lawsuit against the President to stop the program? Or don’t you really know?

Flap looks forward to your support of an up or down vote on Senator Feingold’s censure resolution.

Previous:

Michael Ramirez on Feingold’s Censure Resolution FLAP

President 2008 Watch: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist Assures Feingold Censure Resolution Will Have Vote in the U.S. Senate

President 2008 Watch: Feingold Accuses Democrats of COWERING – “RUN and HIDE”in Censure Flap
President 2008 Watch: Senator Bill Frist Dares Democrats Over Feingold Effort to Censure President Bush

President 2008 Watch: Democrats Distance Themselves from Feingold’s Bush Censure FLAP

President 2008 Watch: Senator Russ Feingold Wants President Bush Censured for NSA Surveillance

The National Security Agency (NSA) logo is shown on a computer screen inside the Threat Operations Center at the NSA in Fort Meade, Maryland, January 25, 2006. U.S. President George W. Bush visited the ultra-secret National Security Agency on Wednesday to underscore the importance of his controversial order authorizing domestic surveillance without warrants.

New York Times: Senate Panel Decides Against Eavesdropping Inquiry, for Now

The Senate Intelligence Committee decided today not to investigate President Bush’s domestic surveillance program, at least for the time being.

“I believe that such an investigation is currently unwarranted and would be detrimental to this highly classified program,” Senator Pat Roberts, Republican of Kansas and chairman of the panel, said this afternoon following a closed session.

While Mr. Roberts’s announcement signaled that the administration’s eavesdropping program would not be subject to Senate scrutiny, at least for the time being, there was no guarantee that the House would not go ahead with an inquiry of its own.

Mr. Roberts said “an agreement in principle” had been reached with the administration whereby lawmakers would be given more information on the surveillance operation run by the National Security Agency.

“The details of this agreement will take some time to work out,” Mr. Roberts said.But the committee’s ranking Democrat, John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, was clearly unhappy after the meeting and said it made no sense to pursue legislation when the full details of the surveillance program were not known. Mr. Roberts said Mr. Rockefeller’s proposal for an investigation would be reconsidered when the committee reconvenes on March 7.

There is NO THERE there.

Tempest in a teapot……..

Now, what about the New York Times, James Risen and the person who “leaked”……how do you spell federal grand jury?

Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: Congressional Probe of NSA Surveilance Is in Doubt

NSA Surveillance Watch: Two Lawsuits Filed Today to Seek End of President Bush’s NSA Electronic Surveillance Program

NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify

NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen

NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant

NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack

Technorati Tags: NationalSecurityAgency, NSA, AssociatedPress, NSASurveillance, NSALeakCase, NewYorkTimes, RasmussenPoll, ArlenSpecter

A worker at the National Security Agency (NSA) sits at her computer terminal in the Threat Operations Center during a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush in Fort Meade, Maryland January 25, 2006. Bush visited the ultra-secret NSA on Wednesday to underscore the importance of his controversial order authorizing domestic surveillance without warrants.

Washington Post: Congressional Probe of NSA Spying Is in Doubt

Congress appeared ready to launch an investigation into the Bush administration’s warrantless domestic surveillance program last week, but an all-out White House lobbying campaign has dramatically slowed the effort and may kill it, key Republican and Democratic sources said yesterday.

The Senate intelligence committee is scheduled to vote tomorrow on a Democratic-sponsored motion to start an inquiry into the recently revealed program in which the National Security Agency eavesdrops on an undisclosed number of phone calls and e-mails involving U.S. residents without obtaining warrants from a secret court. Two committee Democrats said the panel — made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats — was clearly leaning in favor of the motion last week but now is closely divided and possibly inclined against it.

The Leftie Democrats WIMPED out because they know the NSA Surveillance program is legal and has been effective in protecting America.

Frankly, they do NOT have the votes to raise much of a “stink” here. But, they also know that if they sabotage this progam and the United States is hit again by Al Qaeda that it will be their ASS on the line.

Now, isn’t that what Flap said a few weeks ago?

A video wall display inside the Threat Operations Center of the National Security Agency (NSA) shows recent internet threat activity worldwide during a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush at Fort Meade in Maryland January 25, 2006.

Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: Two Lawsuits Filed Today to Seek End of President Bush’s NSA Electronic Surveillance Program

NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify

NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen

NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant

NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack

Technorati Tags: NationalSecurityAgency, NSA, AssociatedPress, NSASurveillance, NSALeakCase, NewYorkTimes, RasmussenPoll, ArlenSpecter

Legal director of the Center for Constitutional Rights Bill Goodman,left, talks to media on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2006 in New York. This morning Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a lawsuit against President George W. Bush, the head of National Security Agency (NSA)and the heads of the other major security agencies, challenging the NSAs surveillance of persons within the U.S. without juridical approval or statutory authorization. An unidentified aide is in the background.

ASSociated Press: Groups Sue to Stop Domestic Spying Program

Two lawsuits were filed Tuesday in federal court that seek to end President Bush’s electronic eavesdropping program, saying it is illegal and exceeds his constitutional powers.

The lawsuits – one filed in New York by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the other in Detroit by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups – say the program bypasses safeguards in a 1978 law requiring court approval of electronic monitoring.

Well, these groups have FINALLY done something besides bellow about President Bush’s NSA terrorist/Al Qaeda Surveillance program . Of course, they will lose at the United States Supreme Court but the attorneys will be very busy billing for the legal challenge which if successful will make America safer for terrorists.

Lawsuit #1:

The Center for Constitutional Rights is suing Bush, the head of the National Security Agency and the heads of the other major security agencies.

The organization, which represents hundreds of men held as enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, must now audit old communications to determine whether “anything was disclosed that might undermine our representation of our clients,” said Bill Goodman, the center’s director.

And Flap could care about terrorist or terrorist sympathizers who have been imprisoned as enemy combatants fighting against the United States? Why not just release them so they can continue their terrorist activities against Americans. The insanity of it ALL.

Lawsuit #2

The Detroit lawsuit, which names the National Security Agency and its director, said the program has impaired plaintiffs’ ability to gather information from sources abroad as they try to locate witnesses, represent clients, do research or engage in advocacy.

It was filed by the ACLU, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greenpeace and individuals on behalf of journalists, scholars, attorneys and national nonprofit organizations that communicate with people in the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere.

The ACLU Lawsuit is here.

A List of the plaintiffs with links is:

American Civil Liberties Union

American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan

Council on American-Islamic Relations
    Rabiah Ahmed
    Arsalan T. Iftikhar

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
    Joshua Dratel (Statement)
    Nancy Hollander (Statement)

Greenpeace (Statement)

James Bamford, journalist/author (Statement)

Larry Diamond, Hoover Institution, Stanford University (Statement)

Christopher Hitchens, journalist/author (Statement)

Tara McKelvey, journalist/author

Barnett Rubin, New York University Center on International Cooperation

Background of Organizations and People Involved in the Lawsuit >>

The ACLU’s Press release is here: ACLU Sues to Stop Illegal Spying on Americans, Saying President Is Not Above the Law.

Andrew McCarthy at the National Review Online has How to “Connect the Dots” – Well, for one thing, you use surveillance.

Washington’s scandal du jour involves a wartime surveillance program President Bush directed the National Security Agency to carry out after al-Qaeda killed nearly 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. The idea that there is anything truly scandalous about this program is absurd. But the outcry against it is valuable, highlighting as it does the mistaken assumption that criminal-justice solutions are applicable to national-security challenges.

Read it All

Michelle Malkin: YOU CAN’T “CONNECT THE DOTS…”

More blog reax to the ACLU lawsuit…

AJ Strata
All Things Beautiful
Stop the ACLU
Daily Pundit
Dread Pundit Bluto

***

Jeff Goldstein helpfully translates the ACLU’s press release for you. Must-read.

Stay tuned as the lawsuits progress through the federal court system and hearings begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Flap fears that the President will acquiesce to NSA program modifications before the United States Supreme Court rules on the existing program – thus rendering the lawsuits moot.

Will these modifications lead to a LESS SAFE America?

And who then will take the blame if another terrorist act takes place as a result of the failure to connect the dots……the ACLU, the Congress or President Bush?

Previous:

NSA Surveillance Watch: Specter Skeptical of Domestic Spy Program

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to Testify

NSA Surveillance Watch: AP Poll- Most Say U.S. Needs Warrant to Snoop? – RECYCLED

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: Vice President Cheney Strongly Defends Eavesdropping Operation

Cox & Forkum: One Man’s Whistleblower

Global War on Terror Watch: Why the NSA Monitors Communications of Al-Qaida

NSA Surveillance Leak Case Watch: President Bush Defends NSA Surveillance

NSA Leak Case Watch: New York Times’ Reporter James Risen

NSA Leak Case Watch: Justice Deptartment Probing Domestic Spying Leak

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Had Legal Authority to OK Taps

NSA Surveillance Watch: Carter and Clinton Executive Orders Authorizing Secret Searches Without a Warrant

NSA Surveillance Watch: Calls for Congressional Hearings

NSA Surveillance Watch: President Bush defends Spying as “A Necessary Part of My Job to Protect” Americans from Attack

Technorati Tags: NationalSecurityAgency, NSA, AssociatedPress, NSASurveillance, NSALeakCase, NewYorkTimes, RasmussenPoll, ArlenSpecter