[IP] more on AP Story Justice Dept. Probing Domestic Spying Leak
Begin forwarded message:
From: Peter Wayner <p3@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: January 1, 2006 9:40:13 AM EST
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] more on AP Story Justice Dept. Probing Domestic
Spying Leak
The real problem with these complaints of treason is that they're
incorrectly argued. The latest round of articles did not reveal any
new capabilities to the terrorists, the foreign intelligence agencies
or even the US people. The ability of the NSA to intercept phone
calls around the world has been described in books like _Puzzle
Palace_ and many of the best selling spy novels written by Tom
Clancy and Dan Brown. In _Clear and Present Danger_, Tom Clancy
describes how the US government has the ability to use voice prints
to locate the calls of drug king pins who borrow the phone of a
friend. That book was published about ten years ago in 1996. Was
Clancy a traitor for revealing the information he got from leaks? Is
the Justice department investigating him?
Let's assume that the bad guys didn't manage to hear Clancy's best
selling leak. Well, the information is still out there. The agency's
mission has been regularly described in public by many in government
including Michael Hayden, the former head of NSA. He would discuss
the agency's capabilities and then promise that they would never be
used on US citizens without the agreement of a Federal Court. The
actions of the main court, known colloquially as FISA, is well-
documented in public reports that describe the basic procedure and
include a count of the warrants approved or disapproved in the last
year. This has been going on since 1978.
Do you want to know how many warrants were issued last year? Just
turn to Google. It was about 1754.
http://www.epic.org/privacy/wiretap/stats/fisa_stats.html
The news this time around is that the Bush administration felt that
it didn't need to work with the FISA court. It decided it didn't need
to fill out a form and get their approval to get the wiretaps. It
decided to cut out a bit of the bureaucracy. Why? They feel that the
authorization to go to war against al Queda overrode all of the
previous safeguards and bureaucratic requirements. Did it? Only a
jury can decide. How would you vote?
But any evil doers who used Google or read the official public
reports of the NSA still knew they that could be wiretapped. The only
difference is that there is now one less form to fill out.
-Peter
On Dec 31, 2005, at 2:27 PM, David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message:
From: Mary Shaw <mary.shaw@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: December 31, 2005 1:57:10 PM EST
To: JoeyEM@xxxxxxx
Cc: Dave Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] AP Story Justice Dept. Probing Domestic Spying Leak
Joe,
You appear to be saying that it's treasonous to expose illegal acts
by the
government if those acts are carried out under the cloak of
protecting us
from our enemies.
There seems to be something fundamentally broken about your model
-- it has
no way to curtail illegal activities by the government. The checks
and
balances provided for in the Constitution can't operate in this
atmosphere,
and the Constitution is what the government is supposed to be
defending.
The argument that the ends justify the means has long been suspect.
Mary
----- Original Message -----
From: <JoeyEM@xxxxxxx>
To: <mary.shaw@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 12:07 PM
Subject: Re: [IP] AP Story Justice Dept. Probing Domestic Spying Leak
You ask why Mary?? How about treason! Traitors who have disclosed
information about an effective means with which to capture and destroy
enemies of the
US.
Mary, in case you didn't know, Muslims are out there who want to
kill you.
I know it's hard for Liberals to accept this basis truth, but if
you don't
accept the fact that we are at war and that the NY Times and
Washington
Post
are more interested in protecting the rights of our enemies than
your life
you
better order your burka outfit as you may soon be required to wear
one.
And yes Mary, the NYT and WP are traitorous.
Joe Mersnik
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/