FBI Secret Probes: 3,501 Targets in the U.S.
The Department of Justice says it secretly sought phone records and other documents of 3,501 people last year under a provision of the Patriot Act that does not require judicial oversight.
The records were obtained with the use of what are known as National Security Letters, which can be signed by an FBI agent and are only for use in terrorism cases.
The letters require telephone companies to keep secret even the existence of the request for records.
Assistant Attorney General William Moschella told Congress last month that 9,254 National Security Letters were issued in 2005 involving 3,501 people.
Federal law enforcement sources say the National Security Letters are being used to obtain phone records of reporters at ABC News and elsewhere in an attempt to learn confidential sources who may have provided classified information in violation of the law.
The FBI says its request for reporters’ phone records are made in compliance with the law.
blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/200 … cans_.html
[quote]
The FBI says its request for reporters’ phone records are made in compliance with the law. [/quote]
So what’s the problem?
“I’m just looking for ‘A pattern of activity.’”
“Yeah. Me too. I think I’m seeing one.”
That’s clever.
:bravo:
3,501 people…just slightly more than were mudered on 9-11…
Existing inteligence had detected the 9-11 threat long before the attack.
Unfortunately, Bush was too stupid to read the briefing report.
If I wanted to live in a totalitarian state where they tap all the reporters phones,
I’d have been living in East Germany or the People’s Republic of China.
So let me get ths straight, the FBI lawfully requested the phone records of at least 1 ABC reporter in an attempt to find traitors who were “leaking classified information in violation of the law”.
How is this a problem?
I’m sure the PRC lawfully arrested people who posted things on the internet (with Yahoo’s help) and lawfully harvested their organs. How is this a problem?
[quote=“JMcNeill”]So let me get ths straight, the FBI lawfully requested the phone records of at least 1 ABC reporter in an attempt to find traitors who were “leaking classified information in violation of the law”.
How is this a problem?[/quote]
What makes a leaker a traitor?
[quote=“Jaboney”][quote=“JMcNeill”]So let me get ths straight, the FBI lawfully requested the phone records of at least 1 ABC reporter in an attempt to find traitors who were “leaking classified information in violation of the law”.
How is this a problem?[/quote]
What makes a leaker a traitor?[/quote]
I’m sorry, I forgot. The only time leaking classified information is considered wrong is when someone in the current administration is accused of it.
That’s sort of a silly way of putting it, isn’t it? There are now laws to protect whistle blowers because it’s been recognized that those in power don’t always pursue the public good, that that public revelation and pressure can be instrumental in correcting malfeasance. Political leakers often serve strictly political ends, but as with Watergate’s ‘Deep Throat’, that isn’t always so. Throwing out the ‘traitor’ card so easily over a freedom of the press leak, as opposed to say, tactical deployments, seems wrong.
That’s sort of a silly way of putting it, isn’t it? There are now laws to protect whistle blowers because it’s been recognized that those in power don’t always pursue the public good, that that public revelation and pressure can be instrumental in correcting malfeasance. Political leakers often serve strictly political ends, but as with Watergate’s ‘Deep Throat’, that isn’t always so. Throwing out the ‘traitor’ card so easily over a freedom of the press leak, as opposed to say, tactical deployments, seems wrong.[/quote]
I guess we would need to know all of the information that was leaked before either side can make a judgement.
Of course, now that you have enlightened me, I’m sure that all of the “leakers” only had the public good in mind. We can throw the freedom of the press card around as much as you like, but leaking classified information to the general public and our enemies is WRONG.
There are ways to “blow the whistle” that do not involve the press and the general public. For example: Congessional bi-partisan intelligence committees that can weigh the information and act accordingly.
There are reasons that classified information is classified.
I agree. Whistleblowers in private business are ok in my book. But in government, when someone releases classified documents, it is usually done when the person feels or thinks that something illegal of immoral is being done, but it may just NOT be illegal.
I believe this is why there are Congressional oversight committees.
Those of us in the reality-based community believe that the criminal thugs in the Cheney/Bush admin. are using this to stifle critics:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052206Z.shtml
