Comments on: Wiretap Mystery: Spooks React

By: ?

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:36:28 +0000

The secrecy behind this may have been due to what they were using the technology for.

By: ????

???? — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:36:28 +0000

The secrecy behind this may have been due to what they were using the technology for.

By: wink

wink — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 09:34:44 +0000

ross perot cincidently relocated his edge software database for the nro at the same time i surrendered my at&t edge software to the u.s.post master general. mine was of the laguna sort

By: Truly Bob

Truly Bob — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:24:41 +0000

tally1, you are correct, we need to find out who are the bad guys, and we should pursue them and halt them.
What has happened here has nothing to do with that. If the government needs to monitor comm between some al qaida baddies and some American citizens, that’s legitimate. That can be done, with a retroactive approval. There still is NO justification for warrantless surveillance.
It’s sweet that you are confident that Bush won’t be after our guns. What about his successor? What if it’s President Kerry or President H Clinton (President Sharpton — LOL)who decides the executive can ignore laws and the Constitution? President Bush is establishing a precedent that in “wartime”, his duties trump our rights. But that will convey to the next president. Surely the GWOT will still be happening then. And which of our rights goes next?

By: tally1

tally1 — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:54:45 +0000

I feel our government NSA collection agency is doing things right. I, as a retired military citizen, have no worries about my email being watched by the NSA ageants since I personally do not send any overseas eamil nor do I recieve any in the long run.
We need the NSA to watch our backs and discover who in the USA are connected to Al Queada. Yes, I approval of President Bush’s action to go ahead and get the job done.
No, I am not worried that next he will be checking for our guns unless we are tied to the Al Queada forces.

By: Barry

Barry — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 03:13:58 +0000

Posted by: Airlee Owens
“There is too much information to be concerned about anything else besides national security. In this day and age I am sure there are not enough linguists and/or intercept operators to be concerned about casual communications between non-threatening entities.“
First, this administration has clearly put national security behind their own political power, and paying off their cronies. Second, ‘non-threatening entities’ would, in the mind of this administration, definitely not include politician or journalists who don’t tow the administration’s line.

By: Airlee Owens

Airlee Owens — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 22:34:43 +0000

Having formerly been employed by the United States Air Force/National Security Agency as an intercept operator I cannot imagine how anyone would care or have the time to monitor routine telephone or e-mail conversations between US citizens not somehow tagged as potential security threats. There is too much information to be concerned about anything else besides national security. In this day and age I am sure there are not enough linguists and/or intercept operators to be concerned about casual communications between non-threatening entities.

By: Cam

Cam — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 21:02:00 +0000

I am surprised at the comments of those that are so upset over the issue, especially the expletive heavy thread. I have 20+ yrs as a “spook”, and I reserve my judgement until more info is available. I don’t believe any laws were violated. If it led to even one arrest or thwarted terrorist incident, then it was worth it.
Contrary to some of the other points of view, the agency has always had the ability to intercept domestic targets, but it had to be approved by the Atty Gen (or competent authority). It appears the President has the authority. If the finger wagging were not so politically biased, I could understand the debate, but instead I am angered by a seemingly endless agenda to throw mud.
We are at WAR, and I am know the SI-system well enough to know that anything not terrorist related will be dropped/shelved. The operation was/is threat specific, and normal citizens having normal conversations will not trigger the “threat threshold”.
At most, I am surprised that the president did not cover the legalities by getting the Atty Gen’s signature, which would have been much easier than digging out of another lame-duck attack by his opposition.

By: Tom Maloy

Tom Maloy — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 20:38:48 +0000

It is another folly to believe that the Bush Administration did not know they were breaking the law. This administration is hell bent on making the common American Citizen just another dollar to be made on. Watch, later, Bush is going to say it was bad Intelligence that said he could spy on Americans. The Cheney Administration is also hell bent on making sure that no one, that is no one, is in charge, except his administration. How much more will America take of these two liars. Republicans, I now know how much you hated the Clinton Administration, because I hate yours even more. It is time to look at Impeachment of these two liars and the great Industries they represent. Our Constitution is torn to bits under these two power hungry liars.

By: harry wood

harry wood — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 19:30:36 +0000

While in the US Army, I operated in two military specialties, 971AH and 972A, and worked in America, Europe, behind the Iron Curtain, and Asia. I did not care about anyones personnel data and to this day I can not remember any of the subject names although I can remember some of the facts of each case. I went wherever the trail of evidence lead, wrote the reports, forgot the names, and went on to the next case. I never meet an agent who took any joy in this work other than serving his fellow citizens.