SPYING ON AMERICANS

SPYING

So, it was Bush in 2002 that gave permission for the National Security Agency permission to spy on Americans without warrants. The Presidential Order was intended for the NSA to track international calls in hopes of finding numbers to al-Qaeda operatives, but lately the shift has been to eavesdropping on calls made INSIDE the US, contrary to legal standards.

The concerns over these operations have been expressed by Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, (D), from West Virginia, who is the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and a judge presiding over a secret court that oversees intelligence matters.

Concerns had gotten so bad that last year the Administration imposed new restrictions, but hasn't stopped the operation completely. The White House is so concerned about catching terrorist inside the US that they went to the NY Times to try and stop them from publishing the story, but the Times agreed to hold it for one year, so addition reporting could be done. The White House was worried that they story might alert terrorist that they are being spied on.

All those stories about a "Shadow Government" doesn't seem so far fetched anymore.