***Scroll down ***continuing comments, analysis and updates*********
Grab a hold of your fanny pack!
The AP:
Report: Bush Authorized NSA Eavesdropping in U.S.
Gasp!
"NEW YORK — President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States — without getting search warrants — following the Sept. 11 attacks, The New York Times reports.
The presidential order, which Bush signed in 2002, has allowed the agency to monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of people inside the United States, according to a story posted Thursday on the Times' Web site.
Before the new program began, the NSA typically limited its domestic surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court orders to do so. Under the post-Sept. 11 program, the NSA has eavesdropped, without warrants, on as many 500 people inside the United States at any given time. Overseas, 5,000 to 7,000 people suspected of terrorist ties are monitored at one time.
Hmmmm, you don't say.....?
"The Times said reporters interviewed nearly a dozen current and former administration officials about the program and granted them anonymity because of the classified nature of the program.
Government officials credited the new program with uncovering several terrorist plots, including one by Iyman Faris, an Ohio trucker who pleaded guilty in 2003 to supporting Al Qaeda by planning to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge, the report said.
But some NSA officials were so concerned about the legality of the program that they refused to participate, the Times said. Questions about the legality of the program led the administration to temporarily suspend it last year and impose new restrictions."
So it worked and saved lives. Great!
Oh,...But I understand you have a few "officials" who came forward to rat, er, inform the NY Times in 2004 about the dastardly plan?
....hmmmm, that would be around election time, when there was more leaking coming out of the NSA, CIA, DOS, than Barbara Streisand's Depends.
But...
"The Times said it delayed publication of the report for a year because the White House said it could jeopardize continuing investigations and alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. The Times said it omitted information from the story that administration officials argued could be useful to terrorists."
So, let me get this straight. The program worked, saved lives, yet the eavesdropping story wasn't an "earth shattering story", to print then.
...because even Congress knew about it, so there wasn't anything really 'secret' about it, so you shelved it until - well, later, you know... just to put icing on 2005's year of Bashing Bush?
Oh and Damit all to heck, that Iraq Election was a huge success!
So what better time aye Gray Lady?
Somebody hand me a cigar.....
UPDATE: Hugh Hewitt - "When the next attack comes, one question will be how did the terrorists evade detection. Today the odds increased that one of their methods will be careful reading of the New York Times."
Amen - Thanks Gray Lady!
UPDATE II: Ah what the hell, it's not like 900 secret FBI personnel files, most concerning Republican staffers, were found in the Clinton Whitehouse three years after investigators subpoenaed them. Chuck Colson spent time in prison for possessing just one FBI file, but I guess Bill needed some reading material to keep his mind off the Whitehouse interns.UPDATE: III Go Michelle Go!
UPDATE: IV Speaking of El-Savior, Where was the Paper of Record on this story in 1996?
UPDATE: V Well, well, via Drudge: "Risen claims the TIMES delayed publication of the article for a year to conduct additional reporting.
But now comes word James Risen's article is only one of many "explosive newsbreaking" stories that can be found -- in his upcoming book!" (heh)
The paper failed to reveal the urgent story was tied to a book release and sale."
No doubt in some way this story was also published today to have this effect on the Senate vote on extending the Patriot Act. Can't prove it, but it's just too damn convenient wouldn't you say?
UPDATE: VI - The fix was in - carefully read this report.
UPDATE: VII - According to the story if John Kerry would have won the election NSA staffers feared what he would do as President.
"Some agency officials wanted nothing to do with the program, apparently fearful of participating in an illegal operation, a former senior Bush administration official said. Before the 2004 election, the official said, some N.S.A. personnel worried that the program might come under scrutiny by Congressional or criminal investigators if Senator John Kerry, the Democratic nominee, was elected president."
Well, the program might raise eyebrows, but it wasn't illegal nor as this moron says, impeachable (cripes that's all this is to the left - payback - like, shut the hell up already). Bush didn't make this thing up. Fact is that he consulted his counsel - they told him he had the power, and he acted NOT to spy on citizens, but to protect the American people.
For the Kos Kids, that's called Leadership. Accordingly, if Kerry would have won, apparently he would have persued the good guys and let the "enemy" run free. Good thing he didn't win eh?
Again, we as a nation, had better decide what we want. Either it's going to be another 3000 dead - vaporized in an instant someday, or "mohammed" get's his potty break and lawyers.
What's it going to be USA? This ain't no freaking game.
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