Spy Chief Blows Cover on "State Secret"

Spy Chief Blows Cover on "State Secret"

www.nytimes.com

"The Bush administration has confirmed for the first time that American telecommunications companies played a crucial role in the National Security Agency's domestic eavesdropping program..."

"It is vital, McConnell said. for Congress to give retroactive immunity to the companies that assisted in the NSA eavesdropping program to help prevent them from facing bankruptcy because of lawsuits over the program."

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 26-8-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Oh my....Where to start?

This story may be a bit older than the proscribed 48 hours, but it is significant, on several levels, and seems to have been over-looked by other posters.

I trust that the Mods will act accordingly.

Another "leak" of "Top Secret" information from yet another Bush administration official?

Another example of the blatant disregard our US government has for the very laws that define and protect us as a (Supposedly) free nation?

Or just another example of a really stupid crook succuming, at least metaphorically, to the compulsion to "return to the scene of the crime"?

Personally, I find the part about asking Congress to grant retroactive immunity to the involved telecoms "to prevent them from facing bankruptcy" to be the most galling aspect of this man's actions.

Perhaps a line of technicality has not yet been crossed. And perhaps Director McConnell sincerely believes that by protecting the telecoms he is preserving an asset vital to his mission...

But it smacks to me of just so much Administration lobbying on behalf of a major contributor.

An example of corrupt rule-bending to protect a wealthy political ally from the rule of law under which all are supposedly equal.

Your thoughts?

www.nytimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I posted the same story a couple of days ago:

Role of Telecom Firms in Wiretaps Is Confirmed

I thought is was a very interesting article. And Mike McConnell is clearly engaging in double talk. He accuses the media and the public debate on the matter of domestic spying to pose a risk to some Americans. He actually says that some Americans will die because of it. However Steven Aftergood is not so easily impressed by McConnell's comments.

Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy for the Federation of American Scientists, said the interview “was quite striking because he was disclosing more detail than has appeared anywhere in the public domain.”

“If we’re to believe that Americans will die from discussing these things,” Mr. Aftergood said, “then he is complicit in that. It’s an unseemly argument. He’s basically saying that democracy is going to kill Americans.”

Source

[edit on 26-8-2007 by Areal51]

Sorry Area51, I didn't see your prior post. Odd it didn't show up when I did a search. Search parameters must be very sensitive.

I'm wondering if perhaps Mr. McConnell is just trying to get in good with the folks he views as potential future employers.

Plead AT&T's case to Congress, maybe get a bit of legislation passed under false premises. Save the telecoms a few million, and thus buy yourself a place on the company's board of directors.

Meanwhile, when we try to "dial up" our constitutional rights, all we get is


"Sorry, that number is no longer in service, and there is no new number"!