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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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6

NSA Violated Domestic Wiretap Limits

Agency overcollected Americans' emails, phonecalls: officials

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(Newser) – The NSA has been listening in on the domestic communications of American citizens well in excess of the limits placed on it by Congress last year, say intelligence officials. The Justice Department has confirmed to the New York Times that it detected "issues" in recent months but said it  "took comprehensive steps" to correct them. 

Officials say the problem, uncovered during a twice-yearly review, stemmed from "overcollection"—possibly accidental—in which the agency may have failed to distinguish between international communications, which it is allowed to snoop on, and domestic communications, which the NSA needs a warrant to monitor. The number of violations that may have occurred remains unknown. Officials in both the House and Senate intelligence committees said they feared the NSA is ignoring the civil liberties safeguards included in last year's wiretapping law.

The Justice Department has been investigating the NSA's wiretapping program under President Bush, including its attempt to eavesdrop on the communications of a member of Congress.
The Justice Department has been investigating the NSA's wiretapping program under President Bush, including its attempt to eavesdrop on the communications of a member of Congress.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Security officials believe the NSA has been
Security officials believe the NSA has been "overcollecting" data, including domestic communications of Americans.   (©Mendhak)
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We have received notice of a serious issue involving the NSA and we’ve begun inquiries into it. - A Congressional staff member

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Derni
Apr 16, 09 7:11 AM CDT
Welcome to 1984-from big brother Reply
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Observer
Apr 16, 09 8:52 AM CDT
There's a big surprise. When you give totalitarians the tools to dominate, threaten, coerce and intimidate citizens - THEY DO! The US public cannot trust the NSA for a second. These guys feel all-powerful and probably are a bunch of closet pervs hoping to listen in on some juicy phone and cyber sex. This agency must be castrated now. They are way too secretive, too powerful and too sinister. There were no accidental interceptions. They were intentional and illegal. Prosecute these patriot outlaws. Who decided to let these spooks run wild anyway. Every administration since the 50's. These guys are really dangerous. And what do they do with all their intercepted financial, trade and personal secrets - blackmail and extortion. It is too easy. Reply
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northeast
Apr 16, 09 9:01 AM CDT
So Obama will be taking away that privilege, right? .....right? Oh, whoops. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Mad
Apr 16, 09 11:52 AM CDT
The article details how Bush and the NSA broke the law, spied unlawfully on our own citizens, and you say 'whoops'? Gotta turn a mighty blind eye to reality to support the republican party
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 16, 09 1:38 PM CDT
Duh! There's no one that believed otherwise, but there's also no one getting an indictment against these criminals for high crimes against the very laws they were elected to uphold; WHY? Reply
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