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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Senate Will Probe NSA in Wiretapping 'Overcollection'

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(Newser) – The Senate Intelligence Committee is planning an inquiry into the National Security Agency after reports the spy group has been engaged in “overcollection” of information domestically, the New York Times reports. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chair of the committee, said a hearing would be held within the month. The Justice Department says the problem has been fixed.

A Justice statement said it had “detected issues that raised concerns” and “took comprehensive steps to correct the situation and bring the program into compliance” with the law. The NSA procedures seemed to be at odds with a July revamping of its mandate. Insiders said problems distinguishing international communications—the agency’s purview—from domestic ones led the agency to unwittingly access purely domestic information.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington.   (AP Photo)
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair.   (AP Photo)
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) building in Fort Meade, Md.
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) building in Fort Meade, Md.   (AP Photo)
The National Security Agency building in Fort Meade, Md.
The National Security Agency building in Fort Meade, Md.   (AP Photo)
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AnnieChrist
Apr 16, 09 2:04 PM CDT
Yes, imagine feinstein's and the other milquetoast democrats' surprise upon finding that when you give total authority to someone like bush and cheney to tap phones, read our mail and monitor our internet usage, that they would abuse it. Never mind that the founders of our great country warned us of the consequences of giving this kind of authority to a government, our modern day solons, in their much more infinite wisdom, let john ashcroft and cheney devise a 'patriot act' that lenin or stalin would have been too embarrassed to put forth. This political theater to determine 'what went wrong' is an insult to to the citizenry. What went wrong was a bunch of cowards, the democrats in congress, let a bunch of deviants, bush and his rubber stampers, rape our Constitution for nothing more than political expediency. As long as this hideous 'patriot' act remains on the books, none of our freedoms are safe. Reply
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Robert_Dada
Apr 16, 09 2:38 PM CDT
Very well stated.
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TerrifiedCitizen
Apr 16, 09 2:50 PM CDT
There's a rumor that if found guilty of abuse, the politicians and others responsible could be sentenced to the now nonpunishable act of waterboarding. Reply
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