In late 2001, President Bush signed an executive order authorizing a controversial National Security Agency program, and on Tuesday, director of national intelligence Mike McConnell revealed that the executive order authorized not only the “terrorist surveillance program” whose existence was revealed in 2005, but a series of other programs as well.
The program, which President Bush publicly acknowledged in December 2005 after its existence was revealed by the New York Times, is only one part of a series of undisclosed intelligence programs which were authorized at the same time.
The terrorist surveillance program has been criticized for producing large volumes of information with little intelligence value while violating the privacy of ordinary Americans.
In a letter (PDF) to Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), McConnell wrote that the executive order following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks included “a number of . . . intelligence activities” and that a name routinely used by the administration — the Terrorist Surveillance Program — applied only to “one particular aspect of these activities, and nothing more.”
“This is the only aspect of the NSA activities that can be discussed publicly, because it is the only aspect of those various activities whose existence has been officially acknowledged,” McConnell said.
McConnell’s letter was aimed at defending Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales from allegations by Democrats that he may have committed perjury by telling Congress that no legal objections were raised about the TSP. Gonzales said a legal fight in early 2004 was focused on “other intelligence activities” than those confirmed by Bush, but he never connected those to Bush’s executive order.
But in doing so, McConnell’s letter also underscored that the full scope of the NSA’s surveillance program under Bush’s order has not been revealed. — Washington Post
Gonzales has also come under fire recently for telling Congress in 2005 that no civil liberties abuses had occurred in connection with the Federal Bureau Investigation’s misuse of national security letters and exigent letters in counterterrorism investigations, while he had received internal reports documenting such misuses as early as a year before his testimony. Some members of Congress have called for Gonzales to resign.
The Bush administration, which placed the terrorist surveillance program under the review of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in January, is pushing for a change in law which would permit it to continue operating the program without warrants or other court review.
“Time and again, the Administration has described the blatantly illegal TSP as a ‘narrow’ and ‘targeted’ program, and it’s playing a similar game of linguistic misdirection with this bill,” said Electronic Frontier Foundation legal director Cindy Cohn. “Rather than a mere ‘update’ to the law focused on foreign-to-foreign communications, it could facilitate wide-ranging surveillance of Americans’ private communications.”
Cohn urged people to contact their legislators and oppose the bill. “It would be absurd for Congress to legislate in the dark, before the Administration comes clean about the domestic spying program.”
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Q
Aug 02, 2007
“It would be absurd for Congress to legislate in the dark, before the Administration comes clean about the domestic spying program.”
It is absurd, and yet they do it anyway.
Brock
Aug 03, 2007
Unless Democrats find a reason to oppose this legislation for partisan reasons, welcome to a whole new level of intrusion. Personally, I’m busy creating nooks and crannies in the walls of the house where I can hide from the telescreen.
Shawn Earnest
Aug 26, 2007
Surveillance upon the privacy of American Citizens, so we are all finally being informed, and the nations boarders never had privacy 100 miles in land 180-degrees, sometimes more, and so what? Smoking marijuana getting you paranoid, cell phone and land lines never had privacy, so? Kitty Cat is finally out of the closet and now we whine? Oh’ Polease! You should be worried if you like little girls, and make stupid comments to them even face to face and stare at them as most to all males do, cause you are such real men, right? Don’t worry that will come in later, and corporate America is another card player story, and a sweet one at that. What would be real scary if they are all liberal and they treat you all like homosexuals, right? Never know what is in store, right? Lack of privacy, now perhaps you will think twice before you make those whacked out comments in chat, right? It’s all good, we are all in the same boat, no offense. Don’t worry, you can still pray to God, currently, at present till corporate American steps in and forces to make religion third class citizens, and science based think tank citizens become first class, right? Oh’ much later the Department of Health and Human Services will play a tighter role in how you raise your children, hate crimes, wink, your kids get taken away for little to nothing and you get to go to relearning institutions if you want them back, and for many a slight chance you get them back. Nice surprises in the future, indeed. WOW, will this make us all law abiding citizens? Holly Poo Poo. Perhaps this will be nice, No more school bullies, rude comments to other races, women, citizens of alternative life styles, and or sexual orientation and lets not forget the elimination of secular religions and in general, you know corporate America; economics, science oriented, and do not give special treatment to you being married with kids. I did forget to mention about our new zero white noise reconnaissance satellites and can listen to your conversation in you bedrooms up to 150-200 feet under the earth pending on density and water saturation, to bad. Want more? Everyone has skeletons in the closet, for we are only human and our great nation knows this and gives slack, but this eventful privacy now will take a back seat as we usher a new age of obedience. I personally am not pleased with the idea and more what they have in store, but it will be an adventure, I hope it is a long ride. Welcome to my world, a world filled with lacking privacy, but now you will believe what I have always known and have taken as a second life style, huh? Oh BTW, I do not work for any government globally cause corporations is Big Sister and Big Brother is retiring soon –Thank Science, God? Don’t worry. Does this sound familiar? “My Enemies will devour my enemies ever so not in my image”; will no longer be a dominant religious ploy. Be Real, Be Safe.!
MeShawn
Anonymous
Sep 20, 2007
that post makes no sense
Anonymous
Jan 12, 2008
partial copy and paste of above post for reference and comment:
I did forget to mention about our new zero white noise reconnaissance satellites and can listen to your conversation in you bedrooms up to 150-200 feet under the earth pending on density and water saturation, to bad.
the above statement brings to mind a question. Is there some kind of work taking place in the center of the earth because there is such a pain in the butt background noise that i hear constantly that i need to put on some kind of back ground white noise just to drown it out. i must admit, i did have one ear damaged by a loud noise and that could explain it.