FBI got 2,000 phone records with fake terrorism emergencies

The Federal Bureau of Investigation used false terrorism emergencies to illegally collect more than 2,000 phone records between 2002 and 2006. A series of e-mails and memos obtained by The Washington Post details how FBI officials violated their own procedures and strained their communication analysis unit with non-urgent requests. In many instances, approval was granted after records had been collected to justify the FBI’s actions.

Later this month, the Justice Department is expected to issue a report that will find the FBI violated regulations many times with its terrorism-related phone record requests. FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III did not know about the problems until late 2006 or early 2007 when they were brought to light by an inspector general investigation, reports the Associated Press.

Source: www.csmonitor.com...

I don't think this has been posted on ATS before. Just found it through random browsing. What more proof is needed TPTB is using fake terrorism to spy on civilians?
This goes on to show how F.B.I is using false flags on enroach upon people's freedom.

[edit on 25-1-2010 by December_Rain]

COOOOOOL Making up fake reasons to search people is perfectly fine. We seriously need to start using rope on the necks of these goons.

I was just going to post this and then noticed here.

To add a little more info on it - several of these involved getting phone records from the US press..

FBI 'fabricated terror emergencies to get phone records'

The US justice department is preparing a report which concludes that the FBI repeatedly broke the law by invoking terrorism emergencies that did not exist to obtain more than 2,000 telephone call records over four years from 2002, including those of journalists on US newspapers, according to emails obtained by the Washington Post.

But - not to worry. When called out on it the FBI claims they have made it all better now!

The bureau also issued authorisations for the seizure of records after the fact, in order to justify unwarranted seizures.

The FBI's general counsel, Valerie Caproni, told the Washington Post that the agency violated privacy laws by inventing non-existent terrorist threats to justify collecting the phone records. "We should have stopped those requests from being made that way," she said.

Caproni said that FBI's issuing of authorisations after the fact was a "good-hearted but not well thought-out" move to give the phone companies legal cover for handing over the records.

The FBI subsequently issued a blanket authorisation covering all past searches, although its legality was questioned.

The Washington Post said journalists on the newspaper and the New York Times were among those whose phone records were illegally searched. The FBI later apologised to editors of both papers.

So the authorization after the fact was a "good hearted move" and not an attempt to cover their rear...I'm glad they cleared that up for us.