Secret Bush spying revealed, more than just wiretappnig
69 replies, posted
[quote=Comcast]WASHINGTON — The Bush administration authorized secret surveillance activities that still have not been made public, according to a new government report that questions the legal basis for the unprecedented anti-terrorism program.
It's unclear how much valuable intelligence was yielded by the surveillance program started after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to the unclassified summary of reports by five inspectors general. The reports mandated by Congress last year were delivered to lawmakers Friday.
President George W. Bush authorized other secret intelligence activities — which have yet to become public — even as he was launching the massive warrentless wiretapping program, the summary said. It describes the entire program as the "President's Surveillance Program."
The report describes the program as unprecedented and raises questions about the legal grounding used for its creation. It also says the intelligence agencies' continued retention and use of the information collected under the program should be carefully monitored.
Many senior intelligence officials believe the program filled a gap in intelligence. Others, including FBI, CIA and National Counterterrorism Center analysts, said intelligence gathered by traditional means was often more specific and timely, according to the report.
The Bush White House acknowledged in 2005 that it allowed the National Security Agency to intercept international communications that passed through U.S. cables without court orders.
The inspectors general interviewed more than 200 government officials and private sector personnel, including former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
Five former Bush administration officials refused to be interviewed, including former CIA Director George Tenet and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.
The others: former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card; former top Cheney aide David Addington; and John Yoo, who served as a deputy assistant attorney general.
The IG report said an unnamed White House official inserted a paragraph into the first threat assessment prepared by the CIA after the Sept. 11 attacks, which was used to justify the extraordinary intelligence measures.
The paragraph said that the "individuals and organizations involved in global terrorism possessed the capability and intention to undertake further terrorist attacks within the United States," according to the report. It also said that the president should authorize the NSA to conduct the surveillance activities.
The memos were revised and renewed thereafter every 45 days. The report said that the president consistently gave that authorization for the surveillance activity, and that both CIA chief Tenet and his successor, Porter Goss, never withheld their signatures from threat assessment memoranda.
The report also questions the legal advice used by President Bush to set up the program, pinpointing omissions and questionable legal memos written by Yoo at the Justice Department.
The report suggests Yoo ignored an explicit provision in the FISA law designed to restrict the government's authority to conduct electronic surveillance during wartime. And it said flaws in Yoo's memos later presented "a serious impediment" to recertifying the program.
Congress required the review of the so-called warrantless wiretapping program last year when it revised the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. FISA is a 30 year-old law that created a secret court to oversee government electronic surveillance.
The inspectors general of the CIA, Justice Department, Defense Department, National Security Agency and Office of the National Intelligence Director also reviewed the Bush-era surveillance program.[/quote]Not really surprising.
[url=http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20090710/US.Domestic.Surveillance/]Source[/url]
No, it's not surprising. Doesn't mean I like it, but oh well.
Wow
Republicans ain't no good.
Hurf durf bush stoopid cuz he rebuplickan .
When will Bush actually get arrested for completely disregarding the constitution? Goddamn republicunts.
Why is this even more "shocking" than the Patriot Act? They're both completely unconstitutional, one was just more secret. But who couldn't see this one coming?
[QUOTE=WallettheifV2;15967689]When will Bush actually get arrested for completely disregarding the constitution? Goddamn republicunts.[/QUOTE]
You didn't see FDR getting arrested for putting Japanese-Americans in concentration camps.
I fucking hate all this spying shit.
Creeps me out.
[QUOTE=Uberman77883;15967712]You didn't see FDR getting arrested for putting Japanese-Americans in concentration camps.[/QUOTE]
That's because he's dead
And I swear, if I ever become president, I'm going to put him and whoever else was responsible for this in a gas station bathroom for the rest of their lives.
[QUOTE=WallettheifV2;15967871]That's because he's dead
And I swear, if I ever become president, I'm going to put him and whoever else was responsible for this in a gas station bathroom for the rest of their lives.[/QUOTE]
Cruel and unusual punishment. You aren't any better than Bush.
Who really makes me angry is that Yoo guy.
Like I've said hundreds of times already, in 50 years there will be stuff surfacing about them that will make modern dictators look like carebears.
Uhm, I don't particularly care if they were spying on me. I've nothing that's really all that necessary to be secret... Maybe I'm weird but this really doesn't bother me.
[QUOTE=Uberman77883;15967626]Hurf durf bush stoopid cuz he rebuplickan .[/QUOTE]
Or maybe because he was an incompetent fucktard for the most part.
I understand people voting for him once, but twice?
Ceiling cat is watching them masturbate to my porn
[QUOTE=Slasha00;15968019]Or maybe because he was an incompetent fucktard for the most part.
I understand people voting for him once, but twice?[/QUOTE]
Gore was, well I think you know, and Kerry was actually more of an idiot. We need smart people to run for president.
[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;15967906]Cruel and unusual punishment. You aren't any better than Bush.[/QUOTE]
At least I'm creative with my torture.
What's wiretappnig?
(frankly I'm proud of FP for making it 19 posts without any grammar nazism)
[QUOTE=smurfy;15968088]What's wiretappnig?
(frankly I'm proud of FP for making it 19 posts without any grammar nazism)[/QUOTE]
Listening to someone's convos and I think intercepting and reading emails and such is included in that too.
[QUOTE=redonkulous;15967990]Uhm, I don't particularly care if they were spying on me. I've nothing that's really all that necessary to be secret... Maybe I'm weird but this really doesn't bother me.[/QUOTE]
Thats a terrible excuse to give up your liberty for.
"If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear"
I'm terrified already.
[QUOTE=redonkulous;15967990]Uhm, I don't particularly care if they were spying on me. I've nothing that's really all that necessary to be secret... Maybe I'm weird but this really doesn't bother me.[/QUOTE]
It's rather a matter of principle. Who decides what is right and wrong? Who get's to see all that personal information?
Its amazing people act like these things are new. As long as the government has been around, its been spying on its own people. It happens in the United States, it happens in the United Kingdom, it happens in France, Germany, Spain, Canada. There is no country on the face of the Earth that doesn't covertly spy on its own people. People just make a big deal out of this because its Bush and bashing him is an awesome fad.
[QUOTE=Zeddy;15968599]Its amazing people act like these things are new. As long as the government has been around, its been spying on its own people. It happens in the United States, it happens in the United Kingdom, it happens in France, Germany, Spain, Canada. There is no country on the face of the Earth that doesn't covertly spy on its own people. People just make a big deal out of this because its Bush and bashing him is an awesome fad.[/QUOTE]
/thread
Hes watching me wank...:blush:
[QUOTE=WallettheifV2;15967871]That's because he's dead
And I swear, if I ever become president, I'm going to put him and whoever else was responsible for this in a gas station bathroom for the rest of their lives.[/QUOTE]
But what about when he was president? Shouldn't he have been impeached? He ruined millions of lives by signing a bill that put people into concentration camps because of their race.
Shit! Zombies!
[QUOTE=WallettheifV2;15967871]That's because he's dead
And I swear, if I ever become president, I'm going to put him and whoever else was responsible for this in a gas station bathroom for the rest of their lives.[/QUOTE]
[i]"if I ever"[/i] does that mean you plan on running for the next election?
If so, you got facepunchs vote. I think.
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