Cyber attack fear used to expand spy grid Cyber-Angriff fürchten zu erweitern Spion Gitter

By Mit Ashlee Vance in Mountain View Ashlee Vance in Mountain View

Not content with spying on other countries, the NSA (National Security Agency) will now turn on the US’s own government agencies thanks to a fresh directive from president George Bush. Nicht zufrieden mit Spionage auf andere Länder, die NSA (National Security Agency) wird nun auf die US-Regierung die eigenen Agenturen dank einer neuen Richtlinie von Präsident George Bush.

Under the new guidelines, the NSA and other intelligence agencies can bore into the internet networks of all their peers. Nach den neuen Leitlinien, die NSA und andere Geheimdienste können Bohrung in der Internet-Netzwerke aller ihrer Kollegen. The Bush administration pulled off this spy expansion by pointing to an increase in the number of cyber attacks directed against the US, possibly from foreign nations. Die Bush-Regierung zog aus dieser Spion Expansion mit dem Hinweis auf eine Zunahme der Zahl der Cyber-Angriffe richtete sich gegen die USA, möglicherweise aus fremden Ländern. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will spearhead the effort around identifying the source of these attacks, while the Department of Homeland Security and Pentagon will concentrate on retaliation. Das Amt des Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) von ausschlaggebender Bedeutung für die Bemühungen um die Ermittlung der Quelle dieser Angriffe, die während Department of Homeland Security und Pentagon wird sich auf Vergeltung.

The Washington Post appears to have broken the news about the new Bush-led joint directive, which remains classified. Die Washington Post scheint gebrochen haben die Nachrichten über die neue Bush-geführten gemeinsamen Richtlinie, die nach wie vor klassifiziert. The paper Das Papier reported Berichtet that the directive - National Security Presidential Directive 54/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23 - was signed on Jan. 8. Dass die Richtlinie - National Security Presidential Richtlinie 54/Homeland Security Presidential Richtlinie 23 - wurde am 8 Januar. Earlier reports from the Baltimore Sun documented the NSA’s plans to add US spying to its international snooping duties. Frühere Berichte aus der Baltimore Sun dokumentiert die NSA's Pläne, um US-Spionage-Snooping, um seine internationalen Pflichten.

The new program will - of course - drains billions of dollars out of US coffers and be part of Bush’s 2009 budget. Das neue Programm wird - natürlich - die Kanalisation Milliarden US-Dollar aus der Kasse und werden Sie Teil von Bush's 2009 Budget.

During Bush’s presidency, US citizens have come under an unprecedented spying regime. Während Bushs Präsidentschaft, US-Bürger haben sich im Rahmen einer beispiellosen Spionage-Regime. In addition to upping its focus on suspected criminals, the administration permitted a system for wiretapping the phone calls of Average Joes and Janes. Zusätzlich zu erhöhen seinen Fokus auf mutmaßliche Kriminelle, die Verwaltung erlaubt ein System für das Abhören von Telefonaten Average Joes und Janes. The government is also funding specialized computers from companies such as Cray that can search through enormous databases at incredible speed. Die Regierung ist auch die Finanzierung von Computern spezialisierte Firmen wie Cray, die Suche durch riesige Datenbanken mit einer unglaublichen Geschwindigkeit. Ah, if only Stalin could see us now. Ach, wenn es nur Stalin konnte sehen uns jetzt.

The government points to cyber attacks against the State, Commerce, Defense and Homeland Security departments as the impetus for expanding the NSA’s powers. Die Regierung verweist auf Cyber-Attacken gegen den Staat, Handel, Verteidigungs-und Homeland Security-Abteilungen als den Anstoß zur Erweiterung der Befugnisse der NSA. “US officials and cyber-security experts have said Chinese Web sites were involved in several of the biggest attacks back to 2005, including some at the country’s nuclear-energy labs and large defense contractors,” the Post reported. "US-Beamten und Cyber-Security-Experten haben gesagt, Chinesisch Web-Sites waren in mehreren der größten Angriffe zurück bis 2005, darunter auch einige auf dem Land, in der Atom-Energie-Labors und große Verteidigungsunternehmen", berichtet die Post.

Critics of the new directive will point to the NSA’s ability to operate in total secrecy as cause for concern. Kritiker der neuen Richtlinie wird auf die NSA in der Lage zu arbeiten und insgesamt Geheimhaltung als Anlass zur Sorge.

More troubling, however, may be the Pentagon and Homeland Security’s aspirations to hit attackers with counter-strikes. Mehr stört, kann jedoch das Pentagon und die Homeland Security-Bestrebungen zu treffen Angreifer mit Counter-Streik.

Proving that a nation rather than a rogue set of attackers are behind a cyber attack will likely be very difficult. Beweist, dass eine Nation nicht als Schurkenstaaten Reihe von Angreifern sind hinter einem Cyber-Angriff wird sich wahrscheinlich sehr schwierig. In addition, the international community has yet to address the rules of cyber war in any meaningful way. Darüber hinaus hat die internationale Gemeinschaft noch die Regeln der Cyber-Krieg in irgendeiner Weise sinnvoll. ®

Just learned following within the past few days: Just folgenden gelernt in den letzten Tagen:

Certain privacy/full session SSL email hosting services have been purchased/changed operational control by NSA and affiliates within the past few months, through private intermediary entities. Bestimmte Privatsphäre / Volle SSL-Sitzung E-Mail-Hosting-Services erworben haben / geänderte operative Kontrolle durch NSA-und Beteiligungsgesellschaften in den letzten Monaten durch private Vermittler Einheiten.

Hushmail: now fully owned by private entity NSA affiliate; has had informal relationship with NSA for a number of years that effectively provided NSA with real time access to Hushmail’s hosting servers. Hushmail: nun vollständig im Besitz von privaten Einrichtung NSA Affiliate; hat informelle Beziehung mit NSA für eine Reihe von Jahren, die effektiv die NSA mit Echtzeit-Zugriff auf Hushmail-Hosting-Server.

Safe-mail.net: Israeli-based, ironically privately lauded by NSA and US military several years ago for its sound implementation of SendMail with SSL webmail GUI frontend. Safe-mail.net: israelisch-based, ironisch privat lobte von NSA und US-Militär vor einigen Jahren für seine solide Umsetzung der SendMail mit SSL Webmail-GUI-Frontend. Now provides mail server info to NSA in real time. Jetzt E-Mail-Server bietet Infos zu NSA in Echtzeit.

Guardster.com (SSH/SSL proxy): NSA contractors have “bought” full access rights to Guardster servers a few days ago. Guardster.com (SSH / SSL-Proxy): NSA Vertragspartner haben "gekauft" volle Zugriffsrechte auf Guardster Server ein paar Tage. Separate but related: faciliated port sniffing of hosting servers at Everyones Internet, on NSA affiliates’ behalf, has been ongoing for a number of months now. Separate aber auch: Begleitet von Port Sniffing-Hosting-Server bei Everyones Internet, über die NSA verbundenen Namen, wurde für den laufenden Monat eine Reihe von heute.

More info on industry Windows security software: Mehr Infos über die Industrie Windows Sicherheits-Software:

Zone Alarm, Symantec, MacAfee: All facilitate Microsoft’s NSA-controlled remote admin access via IP/TCP ports 1024 through 1030; ie will allow access without security flag. Zone Alarm, Symantec, McAfee: Alle erleichtern Microsoft's NSA-gesteuerten Remote Admin-Zugriff via IP / TCP-Ports 1024 bis 1030, dh die Sicherheit, dass der Zugriff ohne Flagge. Unknown whether or not software port forward routing by these same programs will defeat NSA access. Unbekannt, ob Software-Port vorn Routing durch dieselben Programme Niederlage NSA Zugang.

I will continue to provide more info on the above and related topics upon discovery. Ich werde mich auch weiterhin um mehr Infos zu den oben genannten Themen und bei Entdeckung.

http://cryptome.org/nsa-ssl-email.htm Http://cryptome.org/nsa-ssl-email.htm

By Mit Ralph Lopez Ralph Lopez

Missing from the debate over expanding NSA authority in the War on Terror is the simple question, beyond our reflexive desire for privacy: why is expanding this authority such a bad idea? Fehlt in der Debatte über die Erweiterung NSA Behörde im Krieg gegen den Terror ist die einfache Frage, die außerhalb unserer reflexive Wunsch nach Privatsphäre: Warum ist die Ausdehnung dieser Behörde wie eine schlechte Idee? We know the Feds have done nasty, un-American things like spy on activists like Martin Luther King, but it comes out in the wash, doesn’t it? Wir wissen, dass die Fed getan haben, böse, "unamerikanische Dinge wie Spion auf Aktivisten, wie Martin Luther King, aber es kommt in der waschen, nicht wahr? Did the Founders, who took pains to enshrine freedom from “unreasonable search and seizure,” without “probable cause,” understand what the Stasi, Hitler, and the KGB all understood? Hat der Gründer, die Schmerzen nahmen zu verankern Freiheit von "unzumutbar Durchsuchung und Beschlagnahme," ohne "wahrscheinliche Ursache" zu verstehen, was die Stasi, Hitler, und der KGB alle verstanden? That knowledge is power, and absolute knowledge of peoples’ lives becomes absolute power? Das Wissen ist Macht, und die absolute Wissen über das Leben der Menschen wird absolute Macht?

The origin of the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which Congress has been merrily gutting since the Patriot Act, was the hated “general warrant” which allowed British soldiers to enter a colonial’s home, barn, and property in search of anything suspicious. Der Ursprung der vierten Änderung der Bill of Rights ", der Kongress wurde fröhlich Ausnehmen seit dem Patriot Act, war die verhassten" Allgemeinen garantieren ", die britischen Soldaten erlaubt die Eingabe einer kolonialen Haus, Scheune und Eigentum auf der Suche nach etwas Misstrauisch. It was a principle cause of the Revolution. Es war ein Grundsatz Ursache für die Revolution. Could the Founding Fathers, a bunch of old white guys versed in the Greek and Latin classics, philosophy, mathematics, and history, have grasped the significance of a monopoly of information in the hands of the government, which already possesses a monopoly of force? Könnte der Gründerväter, ein Haufen alten weißen Jungs versiert in der griechischen und lateinischen Klassiker, Philosophie, Mathematik und Geschichte, begriffen haben, die Bedeutung der ein Monopol der Information in den Händen der Regierung, die bereits über ein Monopol von Gewalt?

The Stasi Patriot Act was written long before 9/11. Die Stasi Patriot Act wurde schon lange vor 9 / 11. As Congressman Jim McDermott said, “they had all this on the shelf somewhere, ideas of things they would like to do and they got 9/11 and they said “its our chance, go for it!”" Wie Kongreßabgeordnete Jim McDermott sagte, "sie hätten das alles irgendwo in der Schublade, Ideen, was sie tun wollen, und sie bekam 9 / 11, und sie sagte:" seine unsere Chance, go for it! "

For those of us not used to thinking like a Machiavelli, use a little imagination. Für diejenigen von uns, nicht verwendet werden, um Denken wie ein Machiavelli, verwenden Sie ein wenig Fantasie. Come up up with a list of fun things to do if you were in charge, had no respect for anyone, and had a search and eavesdropping power free of judicial oversight, meaning, no one looking over your shoulder to see what you were looking at, which is what a warrant means. Come up up mit einer Liste der Spaß Dinge zu tun, wenn man in charge, hatten keinen Respekt für jedermann, und hatte eine Such-und Lauschangriffe Macht kostenlos gerichtlicher Aufsicht, das heißt, niemand Aussagen über die Schulter, um zu sehen, was Sie bei der Suche , Das ist das, was ein Optionsschein ist. The controversy over the NSA is not just pie-in-the-sky liberals squawking over their precious rights in the “new world” in which terrorist are trying to kill us. Der Streit um die NSA nicht nur pie-in-the-sky Liberalen kreischend über ihre kostbare Rechte in der "neuen Welt", in dem Terroristen versuchen, uns zu töten. Let’s get this out of the realm of ideas and push it down to action on the ground. Let's get this out der Bereich der Ideen, und schieben Sie es bis auf den Boden.

1. 1 werden. Spy on all protesters and activists, from pro-life to anti-war, so you know when they are going to unfurl banners in the gallery of the House of Representatives, then change the schedule to mess them up. Spy auf allen DemonstrantInnen und AktivistInnen, von der Pro-Life zu Anti-Kriegs, so dass Sie wissen, wann sie sich ausbreiten Banner in der Galerie des Repräsentantenhauses, dann ändern Sie den Zeitplan für die Messen von ihnen zu machen.

2. Get the psychiatric records of anyone who leaks a “classified” document which is only classified because it shows the government continuing to fight a war which it believes cannot be won, oops, been there done that. Holen Sie sich die psychiatrische Aufzeichnungen über jeden, der Leckagen ein "einreihen" Dokument, das nur klassifiziert, weil es zeigt, die Regierung weiterhin einen Krieg, die sie glaubt, kann nicht gewonnen werden, oops, war es getan. Not imaginative. Nicht phantasievoll. His name was Daniel Ellsberg, he leaked the Pentagon Papers, and Nixon wanted his deepest darkest confessions to fish through for a smear campaign. Sein Name war Daniel Ellsberg, leckte er das Pentagon Papers, und Nixon wollte seine tiefsten dunkelsten Konfessionen zu Fisch durch einen Abstrich Kampagne. Fourth Amendment ideas are already the direct cause one American president being slapped down. Vierte Änderungsantrag Ideen sind bereits die direkte Ursache ein amerikanischer Präsident wird geklatscht.

3. Find out who that pesky congressman is sleeping with, who wants you impeached. Finden Sie heraus, wer die lästigen Kongressmitglied schläft mit, die möchte, dass Sie angeklagt. My personal feeling is that this is exactly what Bush has on half these guys, hence their reluctance to impeach. Mein persönliches Gefühl ist, dass es sich um genau das, was Bush hat auf die Hälfte dieser Jungs, damit ihre Abneigung anklagen. When you get a blank check to spy, you don’t turn it against pipsqueaks like you or me first; you turn it against the guys who can really hurt you. Wenn Sie eine leere Spion zu prüfen, die Sie nicht gegen ihn pipsqueaks oder wie Sie mich zunächst; Sie es gegen die Jungs, die können Sie wirklich weh tut. In the process you undermine the entire basis of government. In den Prozess untergraben Sie die gesamte Grundlage der Regierung. Could this account for Bush’s perpetual smirk? Könnte dieses Konto für Bush's perpetual starrt?

4. Give an old frat buddy and staunch supporter, who already has all the money he ever wants, something more important to him now: the chance to settle an old score. Geben frat ein alter Kumpel und standhafter Förderer, die bereits das ganze Geld hat er immer will, etwas Wichtigeres zu ihm jetzt die Chance, sich eine alte Partitur. If there is a motivator more powerful than money, it’s hatred. Wenn es ein mächtiger als Motivator mehr Geld, es ist Hass. We’ll see what we can find on him, old buddy, everyone has some kind of dirt on him somewhere. Wir werden sehen, was wir finden ihn auf, alte Kumpel, jeder hat eine Art von Schmutz auf ihn irgendwo.

5. Keep looking. Halten Sie suchen. The Patriot Act says we can go through any records pertaining to you, bank account, car dealer, dentist, lawyer, real estate, telephone company, anything , understand? Der Patriot Act, so können wir über alle Unterlagen bezüglich Sie, Bankkonto, Auto-Händler, Zahnarzt, Rechtsanwalt, Immobilien, Telefon, alles, verstehen? The NSA just makes it easier. Die NSA macht es einfacher. Rather than feds walk in and going through paper records, business transacted through the Internet is swept up and kept in a “dump.” When we need it, pop in your first-middle-last-social-and-birthday, and BINGO! Anstatt Bundessicherheitspolizisten und gehen zu Fuß durch Datensätze Papier, Business über das Internet abgewickelt wird gefegt und in einem "dump." Wenn wir ihn brauchen, und Ihre erste Pop-Mitte-Last-Sozial-und Geburtstag, und BINGO!

6. If we find nothing, why not just frame him? Wenn wir nichts finden, warum nicht nur ihm Rahmen? We don’t have anything on him , but we do on the AG in that state. Wir haben nichts gegen ihn, aber wir sind auf dem AG in diesem Staat. He’ll know the truth but he won’t say anything. Er wird wissen, die Wahrheit, aber er wird nicht sagen.

7. Tell that pitbull reporter we’re going to fax his girlfriend’s abortion records to his wife. Sag, dass Pitbull Reporterin wir fax seine Freundin die Abtreibung Aufzeichnungen zu seiner Frau. The Patriot Act allows government agencies to look into anyone’s medical records, remember? Der Patriot Act erlaubt den Behörden auf jeder Blick in die medizinische Aufzeichnungen, Sie erinnern sich?

8. 8 werden. Allow a black market of tips, payback and blackmail to flourish among the rich and well-connected, the way the Stasi East German Secret Police did, just so long as it doesn’t hurt anyone important . Lassen Sie einen schwarzen Markt mit Tipps, Amortisation und Erpressung zu gedeihen zwischen den reichen und gut verbunden, die Art, wie die Stasi-DDR-Secret Police hat, nur so lange, wie es schadet nicht, jeden wichtig.

9. If you are the beneficiary of such a black market, and you, as someone connected, knows someone else connected who owes you a favor, get the full text of your competitor’s marketing strategy for the next product cycle. Wenn Sie sind der Empfänger einer solchen schwarzen Markt, und Sie, als jemand die Verbindung hergestellt ist, weiß jemand anderes verbunden, die Ihnen einen Gefallen schuldet, erhalten Sie den vollständigen Text Ihrer Mitbewerber-Marketing-Strategie für die nächsten Produktzyklus.

10. Always, always, make sure you are spying on your own people. Immer und immer, stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie das Ausspionieren auf Ihrem eigenen Leuten. Patriotic whistleblowers are among the most credible sources when they go to reporters. Patriotische Whistleblowing gehören zu den bedeutendsten Quellen glaubwürdig, wenn sie zu Reportern. Everyone knows they have nothing to gain and everything to lose. Jeder weiß, sie haben nichts zu gewinnen und alles zu verlieren. Declare him enemy combatant before he talks and have him waterboarded, the punk. Deklarieren Sie ihn feindliche Kämpfer, bevor er Gespräche und haben ihn waterboarded, der Punk.

Add your own to the list! Fügen Sie Ihre eigenen auf der Liste! Then Dann send this Schicken Sie diese to your congressmen, and to your friends! Zu Ihrem Kongressabgeordneten, und an Ihre Freunde! Dirty tricks are a game to these guys! Dirty Tricks sind ein Spiel mit diesen Jungs! Why shouldn’t we have fun too? Warum sollten wir nicht auch Spaß haben?

Remember, what we are talking about is not the power to spy on terrorists. Denken Sie daran, wir reden hier nicht über die Macht, Spion auf Terroristen. The government already has that. Die Regierung hat bereits. They can flip the switch immediately if they think anything is going down. Sie können die Flip-Schalter sofort, wenn sie denken, was los ist. They just have to get a warrant within 48 hours. Sie müssen nur einen Haftbefehl innerhalb von 48 Stunden. That’s after the fact. Das ist nach der Tat. Bush lies when he implies the Constitution is outdated because sometimes there’s no time to get a warrant. Bush liegt, wenn er impliziert, die Verfassung ist veraltet, denn manchmal ist es nicht Zeit, sich eines Haftbefehls. It shows what he really wants: no one looking over his shoulder whatsoever. Es zeigt, was er wirklich will: niemand Aussagen über die Schulter whatsoever.

Before the Stasi Patriot Act of 2001, in recognition that intelligence agents shifted through massive amounts of data, a wall was erected that forbade evidence obtained by intelligence agents without a warrant from being used in normal criminal prosecutions, since that came perilously close to what judges call “fishing expeditions.” With the Patriot Act, Bevor die Stasi-Patriot Act von 2001, in Anerkennung der Tatsache, dass sich Intelligenz Agenten durch riesige Mengen an Daten, eine Mauer errichtet wurde, verbot Beweise, die durch Intelligenz Agenten ohne Gewähr für die Verwendung in normalen Strafverfahren, da dies zu gefährlich nahe kamen, was Richter Call "fishing expeditions." Mit dem Patriot Act, this wall was dismantled. Diese Mauer wurde demontiert. Anything found on you in any way can be used against you. Alles, was auf Sie in irgendeiner Art und Weise kann gegen Sie verwendet werden.

In 2003 federal agents in Las Vegas used the no-warrant provisions of the Patriot Act to bring charges in run-of-the-mill money laundering and political corruption cases not related to terrorism. Im Bundeshaushalt 2003 Agenten in Las Vegas genutzt, die keine Gewähr Bestimmungen des Patriot Act zu bringen Gebühren in run-of-the-mill Geldwäsche und der politischen Korruption in Fällen, die nicht im Zusammenhang mit dem Terrorismus. Justice Department spokesman Mark Corrallo said Justizministeriums-Sprecher sagte Mark Corrallo : “The Patriot Act was not meant to be just for terrorism. : "Der Patriot Act wurde dennoch nicht nur für den Terrorismus. A lot of the uninformed criticism was obviously misplaced.” Ein großer Teil der uninformierte Kritik war offensichtlich fehl am Platze. "

What the Founders understood is, if you make one branch of the government Big Brother, able to prosecute every wrongdoing, it will not sometimes be abused and applied unequally; it will always be abused and applied unequally. Was die Gründer zu verstehen ist, wenn Sie ein Zweig der Regierung Big Brother, die in der Lage zu verfolgen jedes Fehlverhalten, wird es nicht dazu missbraucht werden, und manchmal ungleich angewandt, es wird immer missbraucht und angewandte ungleich. The requirement for searches to be approved by a judge upon the showing of “probable cause” was an outgrowth of inherent distrust of centralized authority. Die Voraussetzung für die Suche nach Genehmigung durch einen Richter nach der Vorführung von "wahrscheinliche Ursache" war ein Auswuchs des inhärenten Misstrauen der zentralen Behörde. George Bush’s mantra that “this is not a law enforcement problem” is not accidental. George Bush's Mantra, dass "dies ist kein Problem der Strafverfolgung" ist kein Zufall. It is carefully crafted and deliberate. Es ist sorgfältig gearbeitete und beraten. It is meant to foster a contempt for the law, and to extend the rules of the battlefield, where the word of the Commander-in-Chief is law, to Americans and American soil. Es ist gedacht zur Förderung einer Verachtung für das Gesetz und die Regeln auf dem Schlachtfeld, wo das Wort des Commander-in-Chief ist, die Amerikaner und amerikanischen Boden.

All political persuasions should fear this. Alle politischen Überzeugungen sollten Angst. We’re not talking about the power of the Bush administration. Wir sprechen nicht über die Macht der Bush-Administration. We’re talking about a permanent change to a Stasi culture benefiting whomever holds the reins of power. Wir sprechen hier von einem permanenten Wandel zu einem Stasi-Kultur profitieren wem hält die Zügel der Macht. The Founders, whose incredibly bleak view of human nature led them to place checks and balances into the very core of the Constitution, put a brake on human nature with the Fourth Amendment. Der Gründer, deren unglaublich düster aus Sicht der menschlichen Natur führte sie zu platzieren "checks and balances" in den Kern der Verfassung, die eine Bremse auf die Natur des Menschen mit der Vierten Änderungsantrag. Boy, those sure were some smart old white guys. Boy, die sicher waren einige alte weiße smart guys.

Wonkette

Hey, kids! Hey, Kids! Have you ever wanted to listen in on the conversations of other people without them knowing it? Wollten Sie nicht schon immer zu hören und auf die Gespräche von anderen Menschen, ohne zu wissen, daß es sie? Create codes that allow spies in the field to get information about enhanced interrogation techniques without those killjoys at Amnesty International finding out? Erstellen Codes, die Spione in das Feld, um Informationen über eine verstärkte Vernehmung ohne diese Techniken killjoys bei Amnesty International zu finden?

Dress up as a totally extreme rapping turtle and get a blow job from a sexy lady squirrel? Dress als völlig extreme rappt Schildkröte und bekommen einen Schlag Angebot aus einer sexy Frau Eichhörnchen? Well now you can, thanks to the Nun können Sie, dank der Cryptokids Cryptokids — the NSA’ s new program for young people and furfans. -- Die NSA 's neues Programm für junge Menschen und furfans.

The Web site, with detailed biographies of its cadre of rad furry spies, has had so much more effort put into it than we’re comfortable thinking about. Die Web-Site mit ausführlichen Biografien der Rahmen vo pelzigen Spione, hat so viel mehr Aufwand umgesetzt, als wir es uns bequem denken.

But it’s important to recruit children into the spy apparatus, as it’s the best way to get info on the parents. Aber es ist wichtig zu rekrutieren Kinder in die Spionage-Gerät, denn dies ist der beste Weg, um Informationen über die Eltern. We call them “nature’s hidden listening devices”! Wir nennen sie "der Natur versteckt Abhörvorrichtungen"! As for the furries, well: do you want that fat sweaty guy in the raccoon suit working for us … or for the terrorists? Da für die Furries, gut: Sie wollen, dass Fett schwitzenden Mann in der Waschbär Anzug arbeitet für uns… oder für die Terroristen?

Do you have an FBI file? Haben Sie eine FBI-Datei?

You might! Many people do. Sie könnten! Viele Menschen tun. So let’s talk about your past. Also lassen Sie uns über Ihre Vergangenheit. Did you … Wussten Sie…

… ever participate in a civil rights march? How about a Vietnam war protest? … Jemals an einer Bürgerrechtsbewegung März? Wie wäre es mit einem Vietnam-Krieg protestieren?

… ever sign an edgy political petition? … Immer ein Zeichen edgy politischen Petition?

… ever know a guy named “Joey the Horse?” (Ever help him take out any heavy garbage bags?) … Jemals wissen, ein Mann namens "Joey the Horse?" (Ever ihm helfen, nehmen Sie alle schweren Müllsäcke?)

… ever hang out with a third-world dictator, retired or present? … Hängt immer mit einem Dritte-Welt-Diktator, Rentner oder Gegenwart?

Phil says: “The Freedom-of-Information-loving folks who brought you Get Grandpa’s FBI File have just launched a sister site: Get My FBI File Sagt: "Das Freedom-of-Information-liebenden Leuten, die Sie erhalten Grandpa's FBI File haben vor kurzem eine Schwester-Site: Get My FBI File . This site helps you automatically generate the letters you need to send in to get your own FBI file … and while you’re at it, you can also get your NSA, CIA, DIA, DSS, Secret Service, etc. files too, just by checking a few boxes. Diese Seite hilft Ihnen automatisch generieren, die Sie benötigen, um Briefe schicken, um Ihre eigene FBI-Akte… und während Sie gerade dabei sind, können Sie auch Ihren NSA, CIA, DIA, DSS, Secret Service, etc. Dateien auch nur , Indem Sie ein paar Kisten. If you throw in UnSecureFlight.Com, we’re getting perilously close to one-stop shopping for all your government security file needs.” Wenn Sie werfen in UnSecureFlight.Com, wir sind immer gefährlich nahe an One-Stop-Shopping für alle Ihre Regierung Sicherheit Datei muss. "

See: Siehe auch: http://www.getmyfbifile.com/ Http://www.getmyfbifile.com/ and Und http://www.getmyfbifile.com/form.php Http://www.getmyfbifile.com/form.php

The US National Security Agency now has the legal right to monitor some 38% of the world’s telephone, data and internet traffic without requiring a judicial warrant. By Die US-amerikanischen National Security Agency hat jetzt das Recht, zur Überwachung der rund 38% der weltweiten Telefon-, Daten-und Internet-Verkehr, ohne dass eine gerichtliche Gewähr. Mit Ian Grant Ian Grant

George W Bush signed the George W. Bush unterzeichnet relevant legislation Einschlägigen Rechtsvorschriften last Sunday. Letzten Sonntag.

According to Laut Telegeography Telegeography , a research firm that monitors telecommunications , Eine Firma, die Forschung überwacht Telekommunikation traffic Verkehr flows, some 38% of the world’s total telecommunications traffic starts or finishes in the US. Fließt, etwa 38% des weltweiten Gesamtvolumens Telekommunikation Verkehr beginnt oder endet in den USA. This is down slightly from 43% in 2003. Dies ist leicht von 43% im Jahr 2003.

“In 2005 (the latest year for which we currently have voice traffic data), approximately 29% of non-US voice traffic transited through a US hub. "Im Jahr 2005 (dem letzten Jahr, für das wir derzeit haben, Sprach-Daten-Verkehr), ca. 29% der Nicht-US-Voice-Verkehr einer Durchreise durch ein US-Hub. This is up noticeably from the 20% share in 2002,” said Tim Stronge, a Telegeography spokesman. Dies ist deutlich von 20% der Aktien in 2002, "sagte Tim Stronge, ein Sprecher Telegeography.

“This only includes traditional, circuit-switched international voice traffic. "Dies beinhaltet nur traditionelle, Circuit-Switched internationalen Voice-Verkehr. If one includes voice traffic carried as Voice-over-IP (VoIP), the number would likely be around 33%,” he added. Wenn man Voice-Verkehr durchgeführt, wie Voice-over-IP (VoIP), die Zahl würde wahrscheinlich bei rund 33% ", fügte er hinzu.

Stronge said his firm does not collect data on Stronge sagte seine Firma nicht sammeln Daten über satellite Satelliten - traffic, but said no more than 1% or 2% of telecoms traffic went over satellite links. Verkehr, sagte aber nicht mehr als 1% oder 2% der Telekom-Verkehr ging über Satelliten-Links.

“Fibre-optic network infrastructure is, bit-for-bit, far cheaper than "Fibre-optic Netzwerk-Infrastruktur ist, Bit-für-Bit, weit billiger als satellites Satelliten , and is the dominant medium for international telecommunications,” he said. , Und ist das dominierende Medium für die internationale Telekommunikation ", sagte er.

“Taking into account that not all satellite constellations are US-owned, my guess is that less than 1% of the world’s international traffic transits over US-owned satellites.” "Unter Berücksichtigung, dass nicht alle Satelliten-Konstellationen sind US-Besitz, meine Vermutung ist, dass weniger als 1% des weltweiten grenzüberschreitenden Verkehr Transporte über US-amerikanische Satelliten."

MYTH: This is merely a “terrorist surveillance program.” MYTHOS: Es handelt sich lediglich um eine "terroristische Überwachung Programm."
REALITY: When there is evidence a person may be a terrorist, both the criminal code and intelligence laws already authorize eavesdropping. REALITY: Wann gibt es Belege dafür, eine Person kann ein Terrorist, sowohl das Strafgesetzbuch und Intelligenz Gesetze bereits ermächtigen Lauschangriffe. This illegal program, however, allows electronic monitoring without any showing to a court that the person being spied upon in this country is a suspected terrorist. Diese illegalen Programm, allerdings ermöglicht die elektronische Überwachung ohne ein Gericht zu zeigen, dass die Person, auf bespitzelt in diesem Land ist ein Terrorist verdächtigt.

MYTH: The program is legal. MYTHOS: Das Programm ist legal.
REALITY: The program violates the Fourth Amendment and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and will chill free speech. REALITY: Das Programm gegen die Vierte Änderung und auswärtige Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) und chill Redefreiheit.

MYTH: The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) allows this. MYTHOS: Die Genehmigung für den Einsatz von Militär-Force (AUMF) erlaubt.
REALITY: The resolution about using force in Afghanistan doesn’t mention wiretaps and doesn’t apply domestically, but FISA does–it requires a court order. REALITY: Die Resolution über die Anwendung von Gewalt in Afghanistan nicht erwähnt wiretaps und gilt nicht im Inland, sondern FISA hat-es erfordert eine gerichtliche Verfügung.

MYTH: The president has authority as commander in chief of the military to spy on Americans without any court oversight. MYTHOS: Der Präsident hat Behörde als Kommandeur Oberbefehlshaber des Militärs zu Spion auf Amerikaner ohne jegliche gerichtliche Kontrolle.
REALITY: The Supreme Court recently found the administration’s claim of unlimited commander in chief powers during war to be an unacceptable effort to “condense power into a single branch of government,” contrary to the Constitution’s checks and balances. REALITY: Der Oberste Gerichtshof hat vor kurzem festgestellt, die Verwaltung der Forderung der unbegrenzten commander in chief Mächte während des Krieges zu einer inakzeptablen Versuch, die "Macht kondensieren in einem einzigen Zweig der Regierung," im Widerspruch zu den Bestimmungen der "checks and balances".

MYTH: The president has the power to say what the law is. MYTHOS: Der Präsident hat die Macht zu sagen, was das Gesetz ist.
REALITY: The courts have this power under our system of government, and no person is above the law, not even the president, or the rule of law means nothing. REALITY: Die Gerichte haben diese Macht unter unser System der Regierung, und niemand ist vor dem Gesetz, nicht einmal der Präsident oder der Rechtsstaatlichkeit bedeutet nichts.

MYTH: These warrantless wiretaps could never happen to you. MYTHOS: Diese Durchsuchungen ohne wiretaps könnte nie passieren können.
REALITY: Without court oversight, there is no way to ensure innocent people’s everyday communications are not monitored or catalogued by the NSA or other agencies. REALITY: Ohne gerichtliche Kontrolle, es gibt keinen Weg, um sicherzustellen, unschuldige Menschen alltäglichen Kommunikation werden nicht überwacht zugeordnet oder von der NSA oder anderen Agenturen.

MYTH: This illegal program could have prevented the 9/11 attacks. MYTHOS: Dieser illegale Programm hätte die 9 / 11 Angriffe.
REALITY: This is utter manipulation. REALITY: Das ist völliger Manipulation. Before 9/11, the federal government had gathered intelligence, without illegal NSA spying, about the looming attacks and at least two of the terrorists who perpetrated them, but failed to act. Vor 9 / 11, die Bundesregierung hatte sich Intelligenz, ohne illegale NSA-Spionage, über die drohenden Angriffen und mindestens zwei der Terroristen, die sie begangen, aber nicht zu handeln.

MYTH: This illegal program has saved thousands of lives. MYTHOS: Dieses Programm verfügt über illegale Tausende von Menschenleben gerettet werden.
REALITY: Because the program is secret the administration can assert anything it wants and then claim the need for secrecy excuses its failure to document these claims, let alone reveal all the times the program distracted intelligence agents with dead ends that wasted resources and trampled individual rights. REALITY: Da das Programm geheim ist die Verwaltung kann behaupten, was er will und dann behaupten, die Notwendigkeit der Geheimhaltung seiner Ausreden Scheitern zu dokumentieren diese Forderungen, geschweige denn zeigen alle Zeiten das Programm ablenken Intelligenz Agenten mit Sackgassen, die Verschwendung von Ressourcen und individueller Rechte mit Füßen getreten .

MYTH: FISA takes too long. MYTHOS: FISA zu lange dauert.
REALITY: FISA allows wiretaps to begin immediately in emergencies, with three days afterward to go to court. REALITY: FISA wiretaps können sofort damit beginnen, in Notsituationen, mit drei Tage später vor Gericht zu gehen. Even without an emergency, FISA orders can be approved very quickly and FISA judges are available at all hours. Auch ohne ein Ausnahmezustand, FISA Bestellungen können genehmigt werden sehr schnell und FISA-Richter sind an allen Stunden.

MYTH: Only liberals disagree with the president about the program. MYTHOS: Nur die Liberalen nicht einverstanden mit dem Präsidenten über das Programm.
REALITY: The serious concerns that have been raised transcend party labels and reflect genuine and widespread worries about the lack of checks on the president’s claim of unlimited power to illegally spy on Americans without any independent oversight. REALITY: Die ernste Bedenken, die angesprochen wurden über Partei-Etiketten und reflektieren echte und weit verbreitete Sorgen über den Mangel an Kontrolle über die Forderung des Präsidenten der unbegrenzten Macht, illegal Spion auf Amerikaner ohne unabhängige Kontrolle.

(Download a printable version of the (Für den Download ist eine druckbare Version der full ACLU report ACLU vollständigen Bericht . Download a printable version of this Downloaden Sie eine druckbare Version dieser summary Zusammenfassung .)

By Mit Ryan Singel Ryan Singel

The Bush Administration’s hard press for emergency wiretapping powers from Congress before the August break now has an explanation: a secret court decided several months ago that at least one portion of the NSA wiretapping program is illegal, according to Die Bush-Administration ist schwer drücken Abhören Befugnisse für Notfälle aus dem US-Kongress vor der August-Pause hat jetzt eine Erklärung: ein geheimes Gericht vor einigen Monaten beschlossen, dass zumindest ein Teil der NSA-Programm Abhören illegal ist, nach MSNBC Newsweek.  That program operated for four years without court supervision, until the Administration bowed to public pressure in January 2007 and allowed the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to review it. Newsweek. Das Programm für vier Jahre betrieben Gericht ohne Aufsicht, bis die Verwaltung verneigte sich auf Druck der Öffentlichkeit im Januar 2007 und erlaubt das Geheimnis Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court zu überprüfen.

In short, prior to the Patriot Act passage, the Administration launched a series of secret, warrantless wiretapping operations, which included snooping on Americans and wholesale data mining of innocent Americans’ communications records (the latter only according to press reports).  The Administration believes it can do this surveillance since it is a King in wartime and thus never asked Congress to make any of this legal in the Patriot Act for fear it would be turned down. Kurz vor der Patriot Act Passage, die Verwaltung eine Reihe von geheimen, Durchsuchungen ohne Abhörsicherheit Operationen, die auch auf Snooping Amerikaner Groß-und Data-Mining-unschuldiger Amerikaner "Kommunikations-Datensätze (letzteres nur nach Presseberichten). Die Verwaltung vertritt die Auffassung, Sie können dies tun, Überwachung, da es sich um einen König in Kriegs-und somit nie gefragt Kongress zu machen von dieser rechtlichen in den Patriot Act, aus Angst, er würde abgelehnt.

Years later, a part of this secret surveillance is revealed by the New York Times .  After a year of criticism and revelations, the Administration agrees to let a super-secret and very compliant court oversee the program using some very super secret, and legally dubious program warrants.  A few months later, a judge from this court finds portions of the program illegal. Jahre später, ein Teil dieses geheime Überwachung durch die New York Times. Nach einem Jahr der Kritik und Enthüllungen, die Administration erklärt sich damit ein super-geheime und sehr konforme Gericht überwacht das Programm mit einigen sehr super geheim, und rechtlich zweifelhaften Programm Optionsscheine. Ein paar Monate später, ein Richter aus diesem Gericht fest, Teile des Programms illegal. The administration refuses to make this decision public. Die Verwaltung weigert sich, diese Entscheidung öffentlich. Instead, it goes on offense and says it needs the power to wiretap anyone overseas including Americans. Stattdessen geht es auf Offensive und behauptet, es braucht die Kraft zum Abhören von jedermann in Übersee einschließlich der Amerikaner. A Republican Congressman accidentally leaks the a hint of the decision on Fox News, while saying that Democrats are putting the country at risk.  Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball (published on MSNBC.com) followed up with Eine republikanische Kongreßabgeordnete versehentlich Lecks die einen Hinweis auf die Entscheidung von Fox News, während die Demokraten sagen, dass die Umsetzung des Landes in Gefahr. Newsweek Michael Isikoff und Mark Hosenball (veröffentlicht am MSNBC.com), gefolgt mit good reporting Gute Berichterstattung .

The order by a judge on the top-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court has never been publicly acknowledged by administration officials—and the details of it (including the identity of the judge who wrote it) remain highly classified. Die Reihenfolge von einem Richter auf dem top-geheimen Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Gericht hat noch nie öffentlich anerkannt Verwaltung von Beamten-und die Einzelheiten (einschließlich der Identität der Richter, der ihn schrieb), bleiben hoch eingestuft. But the judge, in an order several months ago, apparently concluded that the administration had overstepped its legal authorities in conducting warrantless eavesdropping even under the scaled-back surveillance program that the White House first agreed to permit the FISA court to review earlier this year, said one lawyer who has been briefed on the order but who asked not to be publicly identified because of its sensitivity. Doch die Richter, einen Auftrag in mehreren Monaten, die offenbar dem Schluss, dass die Verwaltung überschritten hatte seine rechtlichen Behörden in der Durchführung von Durchsuchungen ohne Abhören auch unter der Überwachung skaliert-zurück-Programm, das Weiße Haus erste vereinbart, um die FISA-Gericht zur Überprüfung früher in diesem Jahr, , Sagte ein Anwalt, der seit informiert über die Reihenfolge, die aber nicht gefragt zu werden, öffentlich identifiziert wegen ihrer Empfindlichkeit.

Now, we know why there’s an Jetzt wissen wir, warum es sich um ein intelligence gap Intelligenz Lücke . Democrats afraid of looking soft on terrorism are now at work to give more spying power to the government to fill the Demokraten Angst vor Terrorismus zu suchen weich sind jetzt bei der Arbeit zu geben, mehr Macht Spionage für die Regierung zu füllen mineshaft gap Mineshaft Lücke .

Once again: a secret court judge found that the Bush Administration’s formerly warrantless wiretapping program was illegal. Noch einmal: ein Geheimnis Richter fest, dass die Bush-Administration die früher Durchsuchungen ohne Abhörsicherheit Programm war illegal.

And that was the program AFTER it was scaled down in March 2004 after Justice Department officials revolted.  I wonder what judges would have made of the earlier program — the one so bad that then-Attorney General John Ashcroft was ready to resign. Und das war das Programm, NACHDEM sie verkleinert wurde im März 2004 nach dem Justizministerium Beamten revoltierten. Ich frage mich, was Richter hätte der älteren Programm - die so schlecht ist, dass dann-Generalstaatsanwalt John Ashcroft war bereit, zurückzutreten.

If there’s an intelligence gap, and I’m not sure there is, it’s only due to the Administration’s hubris. Wenn es ein Intelligenz Lücke, und ich bin mir nicht sicher, es ist, ist es nur durch die Administration der Hybris.

Reuters

The Bush administration’s top intelligence official has acknowledged that a controversial domestic surveillance program was only one part of a much broader spying effort, The Washington Post reported in its Wednesday edition. Die Bush-Administration hat offiziell Anfang Intelligenz räumte ein, dass eine kontroverse inländischen Überwachung Programm war nur ein Teil einer viel größeren Aufwand Spionage, The Washington Post "berichtet in seiner Mittwoch-Ausgabe.

Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell wrote in a letter that other aspects of the National Security Agency’s domestic spying program remain classified, the Post said. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, schrieb in einem Brief, dass auch andere Aspekte der National Security Agency's inländischen Spionage-Programm weiterhin der Geheimhaltung unterliegen, die Post sagte.

“That is the only aspect of the NSA activities that can be discussed publicly because it is the only aspect of those various activities whose existence has been officially acknowledged,” McConnell wrote, according to the Post. "Das ist der einzige Aspekt, der NSA-Aktivitäten, die öffentlich diskutiert werden kann, weil es der einzige Aspekt, der die verschiedenen Aktivitäten, deren Existenz offiziell anerkannt wurde", schrieb McConnell, nach der Post.

Bush acknowledged the existence of a program that monitored domestic phone calls and e-mails without court oversight in December 2005. Bush räumte die Existenz eines Programms, überwacht Inland Telefonanrufe und E-Mails ohne gerichtliche Aufsicht im Dezember 2005. The administration has not confirmed other secret spying efforts reported by news outlets, such as one that searched millions of telephone records. Die Verwaltung hat sich nicht bestätigt, andere geheime Spionage Bemühungen berichtet von Neuigkeiten Verkaufsstellen, etwa einer Millionen suchten Aufzeichnungen von Telefongesprächen.

Bush signed an executive order that authorized “a number of … intelligence activities” following the hijacking attacks of September 11, 2001, McConnell wrote. Bush unterzeichnet, um eine Exekutive ermächtigt, dass "eine Reihe von Aktivitäten Intelligenz…" im Anschluss an die Entführung Anschläge vom 11. September 2001, schrieb McConnell.

The warrantless wiretapping program was put under court supervision in January but the administration now wants Congress to allow it to do many of the same activities without a court order. Die Durchsuchungen ohne Abhörsicherheit Programm wurde unter Aufsicht Gericht im Januar, aber die Verwaltung jetzt will Kongress zu ermöglichen es zu tun viele der Aktivitäten ohne Gerichtsbeschluss.

The letter was sent on Tuesday to Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Das Schreiben wurde am Dienstag zu Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, der oben auf der republikanischen Senat Judiciary Committee.

The letter was written to defend Attorney General Alberto Der Brief wurde geschrieben, um zu verteidigen Generalstaatsanwalt Alberto

Gonzales, who has been under attack over his testimony to Congress about the warrantless spying program, the Post said. Gonzales, der seit mehr als Angriff unter seiner Zeugenaussage vor dem Kongress über Durchsuchungen ohne Spionage-Programm, sagte der Post.

A House committee is requesting Justice Department documents on a data-mining project that identified the senders and recipients of calls and e-mails intercepted via the National Security Agency’s eavesdropping program. Ein Haus Ausschuss beantragt Justizministerium Dokumente auf einem Data-Mining-Projekt, ermittelt die Versender und Empfänger von Anrufen und E-Mails abgefangen durch die National Security Agency's Lauschangriffe Programm.

In a Monday letter, Rep. John Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to hand over “all opinions, memoranda and background materials, as well as any dissenting views, materials, and opinions” about the data-mining program. In einem Brief Montag, Rep. John Conyers, der Vorsitzende des House Judiciary Committee, fragte Attorney General Alberto Gonzales auf der Hand über "alle Stellungnahmen, Memoranden und Hintergrund Materialien, sowie etwaige abweichende Ansichten, Materialien und Meinungen" über den Daten - Bergbau-Programm.

While the Bush administration has acknowledged OK’ing the controversial program in which the government wiretapped phone calls without obtaining a warrant, it has remained mum on whether it authorized the NSA to use computers to sift through databases to identify who participated in intercepted communications. Während die Bush-Regierung hat eingeräumt, die umstrittene OK'ing Programm, in dem die Regierung wiretapped telefonieren, ohne den Erhalt eines Haftbefehls, so blieb die Mutter, ob sie die NSA ermächtigt, Computer-Datenbanken zu sichten, um festzustellen, wer an abgefangenen Mitteilungen. (The computers reportedly do not identify the contents of the communications.) (Der Computer Berichten zufolge nicht identifizieren, die Inhalte der Kommunikation.)

Critics have said the surveillance program violates a 1978 act requiring a special court’s approval before eavesdropping on communications in intelligence cases. Kritiker haben gesagt, die gegen ein Überwachungsprogramm für 1978 handeln, die ein spezielles Gericht die Genehmigung vor Lauschangriffen auf Kommunikation und Intelligenz Fällen.

In his letter, Conyers wrote that his committee is considering changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and therefore must be “fully apprised of these controversial, and possibly unlawful, programs.” In seinem Schreiben, Conyers schrieb, dass sein Ausschuss erwägt Änderungen in der Außen-Intelligence Surveillance Act und müssen daher "voll benachrichtigte dieser kontroversen und möglicherweise rechtswidrig, Programme."

The Michigan Democrat continued, “It is difficult to craft appropriate legislative responses unless we have all of the relevant facts concerning these programs.” Die Demokratische Michigan weiter: "Es ist schwierig, Handwerksbetriebe geeignete gesetzgeberische Maßnahmen, es sei denn, wir haben alle relevanten Fakten im Zusammenhang mit diesen Programmen."

The embattled Gonzales is at the center of the controversy and is presently defending himself against allegations that he lied to Congress about a dispute between the White House and Die zinnengeschmückte Gonzales ist in den Mittelpunkt der Kontroverse und ist derzeit verteidigt sich gegen Vorwürfe, dass er gelogen Kongress zu einem Streit zwischen dem Weißen Haus und Justice Department Justizministerium over the eavesdropping program’s legality. Über die Rechtmäßigkeit des Lauschangriffs Programm.

Gonzales has denied there was any significant dissent over the program in the Justice Department, but former Deputy Attorney General James Comey and FBI Director Robert Mueller have indicated otherwise. Gonzales hat verweigert gab es keinen wesentlichen Dissens über das Programm und das Justizministerium, sondern ehemaligen stellvertretenden Generalstaatsanwalt James Comey und FBI-Direktor Robert Mueller haben anders angegeben.

At issue is a 2004 late-night hospital visit to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, which Gonzales claims did not involve discussion of “the terrorist surveillance program that the president announced to the American people.” Mueller testified last week that Ashcroft told him it did involve the program. Es geht um ein Ende der 2004-Nacht Krankenhaus besuchen, um dann-Generalstaatsanwalt John Ashcroft, Gonzales, die Forderungen nicht die Diskussion über "die terroristischen Überwachung Programm bekannt gegeben, dass der Präsident dem amerikanischen Volk." Mueller bezeugte der vergangenen Woche, dass Ashcroft sagte ihm, er Hat mit dem Programm.

A former government official familiar with the program said over the weekend that the dispute was so contentious some officials, including Comey, threatened to resign from the administration in protest. Ein ehemaliger Beamter vertraut mit dem Programm, sagte am Wochenende, dass der Streit war so umstritten einigen Beamten, einschließlich Comey, drohte mit Rücktritt aus Protest in der Verwaltung.

Last week, Gonzales told a Senate committee that the dispute involved “other intelligence activities,” which he declined to discuss. Letzte Woche, Gonzales sagte ein Ausschuss des Senats, dass die Auseinandersetzung mit "anderen Intelligenz Aktivitäten", er ging zu diskutieren. The former government official said that the dispute centered on data mining, not eavesdropping. Die ehemalige Regierung offiziell erklärt, dass der Streit über die Data-Mining-zentriert, nicht abgehört werden.

Gonzales will lean heavily on this distinction as he defends himself against perjury charges. Gonzales wird schlank stark auf diese Unterscheidung, wie er verteidigt sich gegen Meineid Gebühren.

Democrats, however, say it doesn’t matter because the data-mining project was a facet of the NSA eavesdropping program. Demokraten, aber sagen, dass es keine Rolle, weil die Data-Mining-Projekt war eine Facette der NSA Lauschangriffe Programm. Also, the former government official who confirmed the existence of the data-mining program has said Gonzales “may have been splitting hairs.” Auch die ehemaligen Beamten, der Regierung bestätigte die Existenz des Data-Mining-Programm hat gesagt, Gonzales "Mai wurden Haarspalterei."

In his letter to Gonzales, Conyers questioned whether the White House leaked classified information about the data-mining program “to rehabilitate previous controversial testimony by you.” Conyers further said that the Judiciary Committee wants to know if the Justice Department knew about the leaks or authorized them. In seinem Schreiben an Gonzales, Conyers Frage, ob das Weiße Haus klassifiziert durchgesickerten Informationen über die Data-Mining-Programm "für die Wiederherstellung der früheren umstrittenen Zeugnis von Ihnen." Conyers sagte weiter, dass die Justiz Ausschuss will wissen, ob das Justizministerium über die undichte wusste oder Autorisiert werden.

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell and other top administration officials briefed a group of lawmakers on the issue Monday. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell und weitere Top-Verwaltung Beamten informiert eine Gruppe von Gesetzgeber in der Frage Montag. Gonzales’ testimony was discussed during that session, said Sen. Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Gonzales' Zeugnis diskutiert wurde während dieser Tagung, sagte Sen. Arlen Specter, Republikaner auf die Rangfolge der Senat Judiciary Committee.

Specter added that the Bush administration has agreed to address the matter in writing by noon Tuesday, but the senator would not disclose what else was discussed during the 80-minute briefing, nor would he divulge which lawmakers were in attendance. Specter fügte hinzu, dass die Bush-Regierung hat sich bereit erklärt, die Angelegenheit schriftlich von Dienstag mittags, aber der Senator nicht preisgeben, was diskutiert wurde während der 80-minütigen Einweisung, noch würde er verbreiten, die der Gesetzgeber waren anwesend.

The White House is “preparing” the letter requested by Specter, spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday. Das Weiße Haus ist die "Vorbereitung" des Schreibens, die von Specter, sagte Sprecher Tony Snow am Dienstag. He would not comment on the noon deadline or the letter’s contents but said it would be delivered Tuesday. Er würde nicht auf die Uhr Termin oder den Inhalt des Schreibens, sondern sagte, es wäre Dienstag geliefert.

President Bush acknowledged the Präsident Bush räumte die NSA NSA eavesdropping program in December 2005 and defended it as a vital counterterrorism tool. Lauschangriffe Programm im Dezember 2005 und verteidigte es als eine entscheidende Werkzeug Terrorismusbekämpfung. The program was authorized to intercept communications coming into or out of the United States involving people suspected of having links to al Qaeda, Bush said. Das Programm wurde ermächtigt, Intercept Kommunikation, die in oder aus den Vereinigten Staaten, die Personen, die im Verdacht stehen, Verbindungen zu al-Kaida, sagte Bush.

But the administration has not acknowledged using computers to identify who sent or received millions of Americans’ phone calls and e-mails. Aber die Verwaltung hat nicht anerkannt, mit Computern zu identifizieren, die gesendet oder empfangen werden Millionen von Amerikanern "Telefongespräche und E-Mails.

Gonzales’ disputed statements — coupled with an ongoing controversy over the allegedly political dismissals of eight US attorneys last year — have sparked bipartisan calls for the attorney general’s resignation or ouster. Gonzales' strittigen Aussagen - gepaart mit einer laufenden Kontroverse um die angeblich politischen Entlassungen von acht US-Anwälte im letzten Jahr - löste parteiübergreifenden fordert der Staatsanwalt für den Rücktritt oder Sturz.

One Republican, Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut, said Gonzales doesn’t have much credibility “and he would do us all a favor if he stepped down and allowed the president to select someone else.” Ein Republikaner, Rep. Christopher Shays aus Connecticut, sagte Gonzales nicht viel Glaubwürdigkeit ", und er würde uns allen einen Gefallen, wenn er ab und erlaubt den Präsidenten zu wählen jemand anderes."

Last week, four Democratic senators called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to determine if Letzte Woche, vier Demokratische Senatoren forderten die Ernennung eines speziellen Staatsanwalt, um festzustellen, ob Gonzales Gonzales has committed perjury. Hat Meineid.

But the president has stood by his longtime ally, who has been alongside him since 1995, during Bush’s days as Texas governor. Aber der Präsident hat sich von seinem langjährigen Verbündeten, die neben ihm wurde seit 1995, während der Tage als Bush Gouverneur von Texas. Vice President Dick Cheney also has run to Gonzales’ defense. Vizepräsident Dick Cheney hat auch ausführen zu Gonzales' Verteidigung.

“I think Al has done a good job under difficult circumstances,” Cheney told CBS Radio on Monday. "Ich denke, Al eine gute Arbeit geleistet hat unter schwierigen Umständen", sagte Cheney CBS Radio am Montag. “The debate between he and the Senate is something they’re going to have to resolve, but I think he has testified truthfully.” "Die Diskussion zwischen dem Senat und er ist etwas, das sie gerade noch zu lösen haben, aber ich glaube, er hat wahrhaftig bezeugen."

Cheney said he disagreed with Specter, who called Sunday for Gonzales to step down. Cheney sagte, er stimmte mit Specter, die genannte Sonntag für Schritt zu Gonzales.

“I think the key is whether or not [Gonzales] has the confidence of the president, and he clearly does,” Cheney said. "Ich denke, der Schlüssel ist, ob oder nicht [Gonzales] hat das Vertrauen des Präsidenten, und er macht deutlich", sagte Cheney.

© 2007 Cable News Network © 2007 Cable News Network

by Von Adam Thomas Thomas Adam

US President George W. Bush today US-Präsident George W. Bush heute asked Bat for more powers to wiretap without warrants, in effect retroactively legalizing the unlawful National Security Agency wiretapping , which the President ordered in 2002.

The NSA wiretapping order is illegal under the terms of the The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but Bush administration, led by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, has proposed a Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 that would make President’s actions retroactively legal.

In his weekly radio, address Bush told Americans that he needs these powers to stop terrorist network that struck America on September the 11th wants to strike US again.

“To stop them, our military, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals need the best possible information about who the terrorists are, where they are, and what they are planning,” the President said. “One of the most important ways we can gather that information is by monitoring terrorist communications.”

Bush claimed that the current statute is two old to be relevant and called for a “modernization” of the Act.

“Our intelligence community warns that under the current statute, we are missing a significant amount of foreign intelligence that we should be collecting to protect our country,” he said. “Congress needs to act immediately to pass this bill, so that our national security professionals can close intelligence gaps and provide critical warning time for our country.”

Civil rights groups including American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation have criticized President Bush’s statements claiming that he is using the word “modernize” to describe the removal of safeguards found in the FISA.

“It takes an enormous amount of hubris to ask for more power on the heels of revelations that the President tried to go around his own attorney general on his NSA domestic electronic eavesdropping program,” Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union said. “It takes an enormous amount of hubris to ask for more power on the heels of revelations that the President tried to go around his own attorney general on his NSA domestic electronic eavesdropping program,” Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the Washington Legislative Office of the American Civil Liberties Union said. “The already-shaky legal ground on which this domestic spying program stood is crumbling beneath those who defend it.”

The group pointed out the hidden provision in the bill that grants total immunity against criminal and civil liability for the telecom companies’ participation in the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program.

“It is unprecedented and undemocratic to give retroactive and sweeping immunity to an entire industry,” Fredrickson added. “Not to mention, giving blanket immunity before a full and public airing of the facts.”

ACLU called on the Congress to stand firm against the Executive Branch’s unconstitutional actions.

“This is not the time to hand even more power to an administration that has permitted the wholesale abuse of civil liberties; has denied the legislative branch’s constitutionally mandated oversight role and refused to hold the attorney general accountable for a series of conflicting claims that defy logic, the law and common sense,” Fredrickson said. “This is not the time to hand even more power to an administration that has permitted the wholesale abuse of civil liberties; has denied the legislative branch’s constitutionally mandated oversight role and refused to hold the attorney general accountable for a series of conflicting claims that defy logic, the law and common sense,” Fredrickson said. “The only thing more outrageous than the administration’s call for even more unfettered power is a Congress that would consider giving it to them.”

By Mit SCOTT SHANE and Und DAVID JOHNSTON

A 2004 dispute over the National Security Agency ’s secret surveillance program that led top Justice Department officials to threaten resignation involved computer searches through massive electronic databases, according to current and former officials briefed on the program.

It is not known precisely why searching the databases, or data mining, raised such a furious legal debate. But such databases contain records of the phone calls and e-mail messages of millions of Americans, and their examination by the government would raise privacy issues.

The NSA’s data mining has previously been reported. But the disclosure that concerns about it figured in the March 2004 debate helps to clarify the clash this week between Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and senators who accused him of misleading Congress and called for a perjury investigation.

The confrontation in 2004 led to a showdown in the hospital room of then Attorney General John Ashcroft , where Mr. Gonzales, the White House counsel at the time, and Andrew H. Card Jr. , then the White House chief of staff, tried to get the ailing Mr. Ashcroft to reauthorize the NSA program.

Mr. Gonzales insisted before the Senate this week that the 2004 dispute did not involve the Terrorist Surveillance Program “confirmed” by President Bush, who has acknowledged eavesdropping without warrants but has never acknowledged the data mining.

If the dispute chiefly involved data mining, rather than eavesdropping, Mr. Gonzales’ defenders may maintain that his narrowly crafted answers, while legalistic, were technically correct.

But members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who have been briefed on the program, called the testimony deceptive.

“I’ve had the opportunity to review the classified matters at issue here, and I believe that his testimony was misleading at best,” said Senator Russ Feingold , Democrat of Wisconsin, joining three other Democrats in calling Thursday for a perjury investigation of Mr. Gonzales.

“This has gone on long enough,” Mr. Feingold said. “It is time for a special counsel to investigate whether criminal charges should be brought.”

The senators’ comments, along with those of other members of Congress briefed on the program, suggested that they considered the eavesdropping and data mining so closely tied that they were part of a single program. Both activities, which ordinarily require warrants, were started without court approval as the Bush administration intensified counterterrorism efforts soon after the Sept. 11 attacks.

A half-dozen officials and former officials interviewed for this article would speak only on the condition of anonymity, in part because unauthorized disclosures about the classified program are already the subject of a criminal investigation. Some of the officials said the 2004 dispute involved other issues in addition to the data mining, but would not provide details. They would not say whether the differences were over how the databases were searched or how the resulting information was used.

Nor would they explain what modifications to the surveillance program President Bush authorized to head off the threatened resignations by Justice Department officials.

An agency spokesman declined to comment on the data mining issue but referred a reporter to a statement issued earlier that Mr. Gonzales had testified truthfully.

The Justice Department announced in January that eavesdropping without warrants under the Terrorist Surveillance Program had been halted, and that a special intelligence court was again overseeing the wiretapping. The NSA, the nation’s largest intelligence agency, generally eavesdrops on communications in foreign countries. Since the 1978 passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, any eavesdropping to gather intelligence on American soil has required a warrant from the special court.

In addition, court approval is required for the NSA to search the databases of telephone calls or e-mail records, usually compiled by American phone and Internet companies and including phone numbers or e-mail addresses, as well as dates, times and duration of calls and messages. In addition, court approval is required for the NSA to search the databases of telephone calls or e-mail records, usually compiled by American phone and Internet companies and including phone numbers or e-mail addresses, as well as dates, times and duration of calls and messages. Sometimes called metadata, such databases do not include the content of the calls and e-mail messages — the actual words spoken or written.

Government examination of the records, which allows intelligence analysts to trace relationships between callers and identify possible terrorist cells, is considered less intrusive than actual eavesdropping. But the NSA’s eavesdropping targeted international calls and e-mail messages of people inside the United States, while the databases contain primarily domestic records. The conflict in 2004 appears to have turned on differing interpretations of the president’s power to bypass the FISA law and obtain access to the records.

President Bush has asserted that both his constitutional powers as commander in chief and the authorization for the use of military force passed by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks gave him legal justification for skirting the warrant requirement. Critics have called the surveillance illegal because it does not comply with the FISA law.

The first known assertion by administration officials that there had been no serious disagreement within the government about the legality of the NSA program came in talks with New York Times editors in 2004. In an effort to persuade the editors not to disclose the eavesdropping program, senior officials repeatedly cited the lack of dissent as evidence of the program’s lawfulness.

In December 2005, The Times published articles describing the program, the data mining and the internal legal debate. The newspaper reported that the NSA had combed large volumes of telephone and Internet traffic in search of patterns that might point to terrorism suspects.

Civil liberties groups, Congressional Democrats and some Republicans reacted to the disclosures with outrage, accusing the administration of operating an illegal surveillance program inside the United States. The uproar grew when USA Today reported in May 2006 more details of the NSA’s acquisition from telephone companies of the phone call databases. In response to the articles, Mr. Bush confirmed the eavesdropping, saying it was limited to communications in and out of the United States involving people suspected of ties to Al Qaeda . He did not, however, confirm the data mining, nor has any other official done so publicly.

Mr. Gonzales defended the surveillance in an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee in February 2006, saying there had been no internal dispute about its legality. He told the senators: “There has not been any serious disagreement about the program that the president has confirmed. There have been disagreements about other matters regarding operations, which I cannot get into.”

By limiting his remarks to “the program the president has confirmed,” Mr. Gonzales skirted any acknowledgment of the heated arguments over the data mining. He said the Justice Department had issued a legal analysis justifying the eavesdropping program.

Mr. Bush and other officials also have repeatedly cited Justice Department reviews as evidence of their care in overseeing the program, never mentioning the bitter conflict that unfolded behind the scenes.

Mr. Gonzales’s 2006 testimony went unchallenged publicly until May of this year, when James B. Comey , the former deputy attorney general, described the March 2004 confrontation to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Comey had refused to sign a reauthorization for the NSA program when he was standing in for Mr. Ashcroft, who was hospitalized for gall bladder surgery.

Mr. Comey described an intense fight that prompted the top leaders of the Justice Department to consider resigning in protest. Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card visited the bedside of Mr. Ashcroft, who was in pain and under sedation, to seek his signature on the reauthorization.

Mr. Ashcroft refused to do so. Mr. Comey testified that he thought the White House officials were trying to take advantage of a sick man.

On Tuesday, to respond to Mr. Comey’s account, Mr. Gonzales testified in a Senate appearance that he went to the hospital only after meeting with Congressional leaders about the impending deadline for the reauthorization. He said the consensus was that the program should go on, so he felt he had no choice but to seek Mr. Ashcroft’s approval.

At the hearing, Mr. Gonzales faced harsh questioning about why he had not previously acknowledged the 2004 standoff. In response, he asserted once again that there had not been disagreements about the surveillance program, insisting that the dispute involved “other intelligence activities.”

After the hearing, Senator Patrick J. Leahy , Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Judiciary Committee, sent Mr. Gonzales a transcript of his testimony with pointed instructions — to “correct, clarify or supplement your answers so that, consistent with your oath, they are the whole truth.”

UPI

A US bipartisan group Wednesday said the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program is illegal.

The Liberty and Security Committee of the Constitution Project said in a statement that the US Congress should finish its probe into the warrantless surveillance program before it heeds the urging of the Bush administration to beef up laws on electronic surveillance.

Those signing the statement included: David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Walter Cronkite, former managing editor of CBS Evening News; former Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla., the chairman of the Republican Party Policy Committee; Harold Koh, dean of Yale Law School; and William S. Sessions, former FBI director under Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton. Those signing the statement included: David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union; Walter Cronkite, former managing editor of CBS Evening News; former Rep. Mickey Edwards, R-Okla., the chairman of the Republican Party Policy Committee; Harold Koh, dean of Yale Law School; and William S. Sessions, former FBI director under Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

“The NSA’s warrantless surveillance program has stood for too long as an affront to America’s rule of law,” said Keene, a co-chair of the Constitution Project’s Liberty and Security Committee. “The American people deserve to know why and to what extent the NSA has been tapping Americans’ phones without a warrant.”

The committee said the administration’s surveillance program “upends separate, balanced powers by thwarting the will of Congress and preventing any opportunity for judicial review.

“Congress should be applauded for taking steps to uncover the truth about the spying program,” said Sharon Bradford Franklin, senior counsel at the Constitution Project. “Congress must complete its investigation before considering any changes to the law governing electronic surveillance.”

The statement was published one week after a deadline for the White House and the Department of Justice to comply with Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenas to provide documents about the NSA’s domestic surveillance program. The White House has asked for and been given an extension on the deadline.

By Mit Ryan Singel

Dems want to know more about the NSA’s secret warrantless eavesdropping on Americans. They drop a subpoena on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and President Bush. Both claim the documents are protected by executive privilege or too classified. This is a very likely future scenario and presumably its one the Administration is attempting to head off with its call yesterday for Congress to explicitly legalize the program.

But what happens next? That’s what Jeffrey Rosen (author of The Unwanted Gaze: The Destruction of Privacy in America ) asks over the New Republic today (reg. req.) The surprising and not so-surprising conclusion: well, someone could end up in the little known jail inside Congress and the government mired in a Constitutional battle.

Restraint, however, may not be enough to prevent a constitutional confrontation that could make Monicagate look tame. That’s because any conflict could escalate quickly when the White House, invoking its radical theory of unilateral executive authority, refuses to cooperate with Democratic investigations. Congress may then hold the White House officials in contempt, setting up legal battles that could make their way to the Supreme Court while paralyzing the government in the process. […]

The Judiciary Committee, followed by the full House, votes to hold Gonzales in contempt of Congress–a federal crime with a punishment of up to a year in prison. After Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, certifies the contempt citation, she then forwards it along to the US attorney for the District of Columbia, demanding that he haul Gonzales before a grand jury. […]

Regardless of how the Supreme Court ruled in Conyers v. Gonzales (ed. note: the hypothetical case where Rep. John Conyers issued the subpoena), there would be subsidiary legal battles raging for months as the contempt case made its way up to the Supreme Court. Regardless of how the Supreme Court ruled in Conyers v. Gonzales (ed. note: the hypothetical case where Rep. John Conyers issued the subpoena), there would be subsidiary legal battles raging for months as the contempt case made its way up to the Supreme Court. Democrats and Republicans would fight about whether to force Gonzales to testify by granting him the necessary immunity–immunity grants require a two-thirds vote by the relevant committee–and the scope of his immunity might provoke lawsuits of its own. All these fires would be raging from a single investigation into the NSA scandal. At the same time, a series of related battles and lawsuits might be erupting from parallel investigations into Iraq war intelligence, Halliburton cronyism, and the misuse of presidential signing statements.

The more I think about it the more I think Rosen might be right. The question then becomes how far will the new Democratic leadership go to hold back investigations, because despite the election results, I don’t believe the administration is going to change its stance on secrecy and executive power.

All I know is that I need to get my typing fingers in shape real soon to keep up.

By Ryan Singel

The government’s surveillance of two attorneys challenging the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping of Americans took place partly during a period in which the top secret program operated without the approval of the Bush administration’s own Justice Department, according to a newly filed court document. The government’s surveillance of two attorneys challenging the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping of Americans took place partly during a period in which the top secret program operated without the approval of the Bush administration’s own Justice Department, according to a newly filed court document .

The lawsuit, known as al-Haramain vs. United States , is the only one of more than 50 challenges to the program where the plaintiffs claim to have proof that they were the targets of the warrantless spying, based on a top secret document that had been briefly provided to them in a government paperwork snafu.

For that reason, the lawsuit was already seen as the most resistant to government efforts to protect the program. The allegation that some of the surveillance took place when the program wasn’t authorized by the Justice Department may further complicate the government’s defense.

“Part of our surveillance occurred when the Attorney General advised the president that the program was illegal,” says plaintiff attorney Jon Eisenberg. “That deprives them of the defense they didn’t know it was illegal.”

According to Congressional testimony taken earlier this year, on March 10th, 2004, top Justice Department lawyers and White House officials held a tense showdown over the NSA spying program at the bedside of then-attorney general John Ashcroft in an intensive care unit. Ashcroft’s resolve left the president’s program without the Justice Department’s stamp of approval for about two weeks, as the White House scrambled to tweak the program to meet Ashcroft’s demands.

Attorneys in the al-Haramain case say the plaintiffs were spied on in March and April of 2004, during a period that encompassed that two week interregnum.

Already closely watched, the al-Haramain case became even more important to civil libertarians on Friday, when the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a separate challenge by the ACLU, finding that the journalists and lawyers suing had no “standing” to sue the government, because they had no evidence they were specifically eavesdropped upon by the NSA.

While non-binding on other federal appeals courts, the 2-1 decision casts doubt on the prospects of the more than 50 suits against the government and telecoms now consolidated in federal courts in California, and gives the issue of standing new prominence. According to the decision, Americans can’t sue to stop the secret government program unless they can prove they were secretly spied on. And since the program is classified, potential litigants have no recourse to get that proof from the government through legal process.

Plaintiffs Wendell Belew and Asim Ghafoor may be the only Americans capable of clearing that substantial legal hurdle.

The two American attorneys worked with the al-Haramain Islamic Foundation in 2004 when the Ashland, Oregon-based charity was under federal investigation for ties to terrorism. Belew was one of several lawyers trying to keep al-Haramain off a US Treasury Department watch list — an effort that sent much paperwork flying back and forth between the attorneys and the Treasury Department’s Washington DC headquarters across the street from the White House.

In August 2004, a Treasury Department official accidentally included a classified log of Belew and Ghafoor’s conversations with Soliman al-Buthi, a Saudi-based director for the charity. The FBI later retrieved copies of the documents from the charity’s lawyers and a Washington Post reporter, but copies sent overseas to charity directors were never recovered.

Lawyers for Belew and Ghafoor re-obtained a copy of the document shortly after The New York Times revealed the existence of the spying program, and then filed suit in 2006. The document is now being held in a secure facility in San Francisco.

For its part the government admits that it accidentally turned over the very secret file to the charity’s lawyers, but argues that the case should be dismissed because the very nature of lawsuit involves “state secrets.” The Justice Department also argues that the phone log could have been created by wiretap approved by a secret court or by a foreign government. For its part the government admits that it accidentally turned over the very secret file to the charity’s lawyers, but argues that the case should be dismissed because the very nature of lawsuit involves “state secrets.” The Justice Department also argues that the phone log could have been created by wiretap approved by a secret court or by a foreign government.

An Oregon district court judge disagreed with the government and allowed the case to proceed. The government’s appeal of that decision will be heard on Aug. 15 in the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

The government will also be arguing that day for the dismissal of a high-profile lawsuit against AT&T by the Electronic Frontier Foundation for the telecom’s alleged illegal cooperation in the spying.

In the wake of the 6th Circuit decision, the fate of civil libertarians’ challenge to the spy program may rest on the a-Haramain case, according to Eisenberg. “We’re the last case  standing,” Eisenberg says. “If we aren’t permitted to show standing, no one will be.”