Federal Source to ABC News: We Know Who You're Calling

A federal law enforcement official has told ABC News that the federal government is using calling records in an attempt to locate reporters sources. The article states that the contents of the phone calls are not used, but that the call patterns can be valuable to investigators.

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Some of the discussion concerning the NSA's access to calling records, is how it may be O.K. because they are not looking at the content of the calls. That's like saying its only the wheels that make a car work. Its a machine, with many parts that work together. Look at one part, and its probably impossible to interpret the machine's purpose. The "senior law enforcement official" is either taking a great risk, or he's planting false information.

Related News Links:
www.usatoday.com
www.defensetech.org

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
NSA is keeping logs of phones calls in the US
Phone Tapping? That's NOTHING. Here's the real story...

A complete abuse of power. Indefensible.


It's also a *really* bad idea to anger the media. They may rely on acting right wing but when you attack the very thing they rely on to pay their salaries then you make a powerful enemy.

As the old cliche goes; "Never say anything out loud you're not willing to see put on the front page of a newspaper"

I just finished reading this exact thing. Wow! Really scary stuff for the media, and you're right. Angering the press is not a good idea, but remember what happens with those who deal with higher powers and demand their rights.



A cornered animal is dangerous, and the current administration may be just that. A cornered animal.

They are using this for all kinds of intelligence- and it aint Al Qaeda.

I can hardly wait to see what more Mr. Bush has to say in his defense.

"We're fightin' terrism, we're gonna stay the course, in order to protect the Merican people" Yah, thats it.

If anyone wants the rest of the speech, i could u2u you the whole thing, verbatum.

Bush doesnt care about cornering the media. He doesnt care about anything because this is going someplace that we cannot imagine.

[edit on 15-5-2006 by dgtempe]

You see more and more desperation each day. It's like dissent is a jar of marbles, The jar of marbles falls off the shelf and they are trying to catch them all before they hit the floor.
Are they going to catch all their marbles, or are they going to cast a big net over the entire floor?

They are losing their marbles.

Desperation, you bet! Scary? YUP!

And they are looking for reporters sources, just another attempt to shut up the media and keep Americans in the dark. They don't want anybody to be a source of Anti-Bush regime info.
No addresses or names, just #'s? HA!!, they can get all the info they need, all that's needed is a computer and a keyboard.

It's an abuse of power, put these bums out to the curb!

I've seen a lot of posts in other threads rationalizing the NSA's use of calling records to analyze social networks. And they're right, its only a point A to point B type of record. However, when its cross-referenced with other available data stores, it becomes scary stuff. Government intelligent agencies can purchase ready made dossiers from private organizations and not be accused of illegally 'gathering' intelligence.

So here's one example of the program not being used to hunt terrorists....how many more? This appears to be a direct use of that program with sinister undertones.

I love this comment from here



[edit on 15-5-2006 by MrPenny]

it would appear that this story just wont die... thankfully... first it started off as a plan that intercepted only international calls as reported in the nytimes

Link to NY Times Story

and then it becomes more prevelent when AT&T was sued:

www.truthout.org...


and now of course it blow up that not just AT&T,(who the govt is trying to get the case thrown out of court;www.techimo.com... ) but also verizon and bellsouth are also complicit in this.

Link to Reuters Story

i guess my point is in a few more months it will come out that our content of our calls have indeed been monitored aswell and they rpobably also used spy satilites aswellwww.prisonplanet.com...
lets hope that this trend does not continue... for all of our sakes

[edit on 5-15-2006 by Djarums]

Bravo MrPenny! This is exactly the type of abuse that comes from unrestrained power.

I have always said that if we could trust 100% of the people who have access to these records to have 100% integrity 100% of the time and know that 100% of their investigations were about terrorism, I wouldn't really have a problem with it.

But we cannot. Not even close.

And who knows how many other ways this program has been or is being or WILL BE abused?!?

If what they were doing wasn't of any value, they would not be doing it.

And this is just the stuff that has seen the light of day, I mean, who knows what they know about you.
It would not surprise me in the least to find out they are gathering info on ALL Canadians as well.

"Oh,... we are gathering info, but it's not enough info to do anything with"
(my quote, sarcasm)
It's all the info they need, they get that info, then they go and tap your phone.

I wonder if those rumours of Prison camps in America are true? In the WOT, your phonecalls to your dissenting buddies could put you on a terrorist list. That can earn you free room and board at a government campground, with of course a coupla chores to do.

this is truly frightnning stuff.
but what's even more frightning are some of the comments left in the ABC blog by other people who had read the entry.

like these little gems for examle:



i'm still in disbelief that people actually think like this!


if warrantless domestic spying is just a snippet of the fringe end of the rug, i can't even begin to imangine what's under the whole carpet...

Reporters sources are being investigated by the feds. There is outrage.

I imagine that this outrage is welcome news to Rove, Cheney, Libby, and others implicated in "outing" Valerie Plame.

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, eh?

Lets assume that this is true...

Revealing a secret program is illegal, no matter how you dress it up. Therefore the Federal Government is required to do all it can to ensure that the ones responsible are brought to justice, and to ensure that it never happens again. As my Spanish friend Juan would say “Qué es tu problema, homey?”


[edit on 15-5-2006 by WestPoint23]

why is there a need to search for "sources" if the phone "call patterns can be valuable to investigators" and not the contents of the phone call???

no investigation is needed unless the contents are used and the gov't wants to see who leaked that information out...

Who is saying that the contents would not be valuable?



I disagree.

Let's assume a major story was broken by the NYT on Monday//

Fed: Mr. Reporter, when was the last time you spoke to Leaky Official?

Mr. Reporter: Not in six months, if I recall.

Fed: Well, we have info that his cell called your cell Sunday afternoon...

no one is saying that (not me either)...

it is illegal to get these contents without a warrant, though...

If this isn't an impeachable offense I dunno what it. This is a direct attack on the constitution and the freedom of the press, as well as privacy.

So, now that the media is feeling the tentacles of Bush and Company, maybe they will get some teeth and we can see the slow public roasting of Bush and friends?

Just wait till some big corporation gets compromised,
then you will really see the fireworks.

Tick tock...the NSA info bomb shall soon go off.

Qwest Told NSA To Bug Off

Sorry about the misunderstanding. You're absolutely right about the warrants, too.

not saying this against you or anything, but i think a lot of people are confused. it is not illegal for government employees to reveal illegal government behavior. It's called whistle blowing and is protected (or was until the Bushies gutted the statute.)
now whether certain activities are considered illegal or not is up to who's doing the interpretation. i'm no lawer, or court judge, but really, if this whole thing is such the non issue they're trying to play it up to be, then why not just go through the process as it's written by the book? why try using what seems to be an underground method to obtain the info you say you need for national security purposes?

Yes, I am aware of that, however as you noted below, non of the revealed programs have been ruled as being illegal (and they aren't). So there has to be some enforcement of the laws to prevent people from disclosing any program they want for whatever reason or agenda they may have and then retroactively claim protection under some Whistle-Blower Protection Act. Also, the government is not using any illegal means to obtain the sources of these leaks, these leaks put our national security at risk hence why these means which may be viewed by some as extreme are necessary. I’m all for a free and independent media but the media is not given a free pass to endanger our national security without any repercussions whatsoever. I hope you can understand what I’m trying to say.