Report: Bush eased domestic spy rules after 9/11

[Apeman81]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...121608523.html

"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."

Do you ever get tired of being the dupes of these manipulating whores of the media?

[Milton Bradley]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/16/bush.nsa/index.html


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Without confirming a report that he OK'd eavesdropping on U.S. citizens in 2002, President Bush defended his actions since September 11, 2001, saying he has done everything "within the law" to protect the American people.

A story in The New York Times on Friday claimed that Bush secretly signed an order authorizing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans who were communicating with individuals overseas to determine if they had terrorist ties.

"After 9/11, I told the American people I would do everything in my power to protect the country, within the law, and that's exactly how I conduct my presidency," Bush said in an interview with PBS' "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," which was scheduled to air Friday evening.

Sources with knowledge of the program have since told CNN that Bush did sign the secret order in 2002. The sources refused to be identified because the program is classified.

Pressed on the topic in the PBS interview, Bush said he understood people want him to confirm or deny the report, but he couldn't discuss specifics because "it would compromise our ability to protect the people," according to a transcript of the program.

also...

Bill Keller, the Times' executive editor, said in a statement that the newspaper postponed publication of the article for a year at the White House's request as editors pondered the national security issues surrounding the release of the information.

But after considering the legal and civil liberties aspects, and determining that the story could be written without jeopardizing intelligence operations, the paper ran the story, Keller said, emphasizing that information about many NSA eavesdropping operations is public record.

"What is new is that the NSA has for the past three years had the authority to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States without a warrant," Keller said. "It is that expansion of authority -- not the need for a robust anti-terror intelligence operation -- that prompted debate within the government, and that is the subject of the article."

[ericsp23]

The "Dems" knew about this before it started.

I find it odd that the "Dems" would know about it, but apparently prominent Republicans didn't:
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Espio...d_Intelligence

WASHINGTON - Dismayed lawmakers demanded on Friday that Congress look into whether the highly secretive National Security Agency was granted new powers to eavesdrop without warrants on people inside the United States. "There is no doubt that this is inappropriate," declared Republican Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He promised hearings early next year.

If this is really as minor as you would like us to believe, then why are Senators, including Republicans demanding an investigation into the matter?

[bishop]

it's always easy for the bushbots to turn anything that bush did wrong (or any legislative failure for bush) into some democratic conspiracy.. we've been seeing the same weak-minded tactics for years now - not a surprise.

[Scribbler1]

The evidence for this being true must be overwhelming. Usually the right wingers swear something unflattering to the Bush administration just didn't happen, but when they can't deny it they resort to plan B. "Sure, it happened but it's no big deal. In fact, you are unamerican just by suggesting that something is wrong!"

[gr8fuldaniel]

I am not surprised at all.

project echelon by Richard Metzger - June. 02, 2001 Would you believe the world has been and is being watched by a global surveillance system called ECHELON that catches all of your tele-communications and sifts them, catching nuggets of pre-determined flag words, to keep a running log of what you think, do and say? Well, you'd better start. Because the powers-that-be are coming clean (or as clean as they can get) about the whole shebang. And for all you know, they know you're reading this page right now. So keep going - you're already busted - and learn the who, what, where, when and why's of Project ECHELON.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Actually WIKI definition of eschalon is a better link than that in my last post. The disinformation link has a lot of broken links. Eshalon is a scanner that can hear and hone in on key words. Like bomb. If you say That party was "The Bomb", last night. Expect the rest of your telephone conversation to be very closely monitored. This is not new.

[gr8fuldaniel]

That doesnt mean I dont think bush shouldn't be arrested at home tonight. He broke a federal Law.

The Federal Communications Act criminalizes surveillance without a warrant.

An impeachable offense.

FindLaw MERRITT, Circuit Judge. With certain exceptions, the federal wiretap act criminalizes and creates civil liability for intentionally intercepting electronic communications without a judicial warrant.

[bishop]

and much worse than lying about a blowjob.

[Scribbler1]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel That doesnt mean I dont think bush shouldn't be arrested at home tonight. He broke a federal Law. The Federal Communications Act criminalizes surveillance without a warrant. An impeachable offense.

How about in time of war? I'm not sure if that would survive a full legal challenge but if Bush tells the sheep it is because we are at war and it is for our security they will surely swallow that.

[bishop]

if this thread is any evidence of what the sheep would think, i'd say your analysis is correct.

in the end, whatever bush and his spin-meisters say will be accepted and digested by his good, loyal sheep. doesn't matter if he fucking breaks federal laws, the sheep will continue to swear that he's doing the right thing.. hell, why doesn't he just take control over government like hitler did and just be done with it? then these bushbot nazis can be the first members of his gestapo.

[Rainbow]

G. Bush authorized NSA to conduct something what NSA is all about.
NSA is all about spying, and nothing but spying. So it is Police, Army, FBI, CIA, DIA, ect.
All these institution (along with some others) gather all the available information on every aspect in our life. Your name could be included within a report, as well. It could cover detailed or general information. It depends of the case, points of interests, ect.
Such procedures take place every single day. No authorization needed and/or required.
Why do not you compain about it, guys ? :-)))

All the systems are based on spying on their citizens, around the world. Otherwise, real spies know much more than a state itself, crimes go unsolved, corruption is rampart, ect.
That is a part of a state's security.

Previous U.S. Presidents were doing exactly the same what Bush has done, and the next U.S. Presidents are going to do exactly the same. No Ph.D. diploma required to figure that out.
That is politics.

What really goes on, then ? Is there something wrong that Bush authorized NSA to conduct an action against some people ?
It means that somebody tries to set Bush up, by making that subject public. That means, that frictions within the U.S. departments have taken an unexpected turn, and somebody or some group of people disagreed on some issues and tried to pay Bush back, by submitting that whole matter to the public.
That is the whole business about Bush's authorization NSA.

I watched those iditotic reporters on Tv.
That is exactly how a brainwashing works. Instead of telling people the truth on a system's real existance, those iditos tried to create a sensation, a breaking news, ect.
A breaking news about what ? About the reality ?
Plain ignorants. They think about making money by magnetizing more public in a front of a Tv-set, so there is a chance that some idiots watch that breaking news, rush to the nearest store and purchase a junk advertised on a screen. More breaking news, more money.
That is the business, guys.

Do you know why do not see, hear or read the real news ?
It would destroy the ideological, philosophical and political fundaments of a state you live-in, guys, regardless what ideology and/or philosophy may apply to it, or it is based on.
As the result, the system would collapse, and they can not afford it.

P.S.
Play lottery, guys :-)))
It is less stressful, at least.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: bishop hell, why doesn't he just take control over government like hitler did and just be done with it? then these bushbot nazis can be the first members of his gestapo.

Because it will be a bloodbath that they will lose.
We will kick their asses until their mothers bruise.
They have under 40% support. Definitely a lot less than that if they try to pull a full nazi on us.
(BTW, I know you were being facetious )

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Scribbler1 Quote by: gr8fuldaniel That doesnt mean I dont think bush shouldn't be arrested at home tonight. He broke a federal Law. The Federal Communications Act criminalizes surveillance without a warrant. An impeachable offense. How about in time of war? I'm not sure if that would survive a full legal challenge but if Bush tells the sheep it is because we are at war and it is for our security they will surely swallow that.

Yeah, he does get away with murder. And all he had to do was, to be a goddamn bully. Bullies always get their way. For a while.

[tivodan1116]

So Bush admitted it. And he justifies this by saying he consulted with members of the Justice Department, and advised top members of Congress that it was being done.

ummmmmmm This isn't a substitute for having a judge from the JUDICIARY sign a probable cause warrant. WHAT HE IS DOING IS ILLEGAL! It is not the job of the Justice Department or the Congress to approve search warrants. If it was, the police (who fall under the executive branch just like the Justice Department) could sign their own warrants!

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: Scribbler How about in time of war?

Since the Iraq war is illegal in its own right, everything carried out in the commission of that crime are special circumstances and will compound his charges when he is finally stopped.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: tivodan So Bush admitted it.

I didnt see that part. I think its the usual "Neither confirm nor deny" that criminals always hide behind. I guess the fact that the NYT held the story, by White House request, for over a year. The fact that it is finally released is evidence that this is when the admin wants it released. But, see the first line of the story in MB's last post: " Without confirming a report that he OK'd eavesdropping on U.S. citizens in 2002......"

This is a perfect example of why the accusation of bush calling the Constitution "Just a God Damned piece of paper", last week, isnt very surprising. He has wiped his ass with The Bill of Rights since he overthrew our government. And there is no stopping him until he is thrown out!

[bishop]

arlen specter said that this revelation played a huge role in the failure to renew the patriot act's expiring provisions.. i think the nyt played this one perfectly, although i'm not sure if the timing was intentional..

had this story not have aired, i still think the patriot act wouldn't have been renewed - but this bit of news certainly helped.


it's amazing, though, that even though he knows full well that this is illegal, bush says he's going to continue to break the law. that's what dictators do..

just add this to the list of impeachable offenses - offenses MUCH worse than lying about a blowjob.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Quote by: bishop i think the nyt played this one perfectly

On the other hand, you could be right! But, I still think they want us to be afraid of them. Even if we arent doing anything wrong. Their power is useless if we arent terrorized. He goes back to the lame duck he was prior to 911, if we are not his cringing subjects. When we are shivering denizens in his mad realm, it empowers them.

... --offenses MUCH worse than lying about a blowjob.

Heh....

[Zeebadee]

I guess we are supposed to overlook spelling and grammatical errors, but has anyone else noticed that those "iditos" that are the most ardent Bush admirers are also those that display the most "ignorants" in their support of him? Perhaps the concept of actually living by the precepts embodied in the Constitution instead of merely mouthing them are simply too much for them to comprehend. Why anyone would voluntarily give up their Constitutionally guaranteed rights for a little security is one thing, but these people are will to do just that for even an illusion of security. Why is it so hard for them to understand that our country's strength comes from the very system of law that they are so willing to sacrifice? How do we become more secure by giving up the principles that made this country the greatest the world has ever seen?