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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: National Security Agency

National Security Agency stories: 17 news summaries

Plan Could Divine Missing Watergate Minutes, CSI-Style

Archivist pushes plan to uncover lost pages' imprints

Jul 28, 09 4:08 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Watergate hobbyist has a plan to discover what was discussed during the 18½ minutes erased from a taped conversation between President Nixon and his chief of staff after the break-in. Phil Mellinger doesn’t want to examine the tape itself; that's been done without success. He says the answer... More »

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Watergate • Richard Nixon • National Security Agency • mystery • tape • National Archives • paper • documents • Phil Mellinger

 Pentagon's Cybercommand 
 Raises Privacy Fears 

Militarization of cybersecurity fuels debate on rules of engagement

Jun 13, 09 8:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Plans to put America's cybersecurity under the control of the Pentagon are raising some thorny privacy and diplomacy issues, the New York Times reports. President Obama has insisted that the military, under the cybercommand being developed, will not be monitoring private sector networks and Internet traffic—but Pentagon officials say... More »

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Pentagon • cyberwarfare • cyberterrorism • Department of Homeland Security • National Security Agency

 Prez's Pimped-Out 
 BlackBerry 
 Nearly Ready 

The NSA begins final tests on encryption software this month

Apr 23, 09 10:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - President Obama’s super-secure, high-powered new BlackBerry could soon get the thumbs-up from the National Security Agency, which is about to begin final tests on its encryption software. The president could be texting, emailing, calling and Facebooking other high-security personnel—like Michelle O.—within months, the Washington Times reports,... More »

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Barack Obama • Michelle Obama • BlackBerry • software • National Security Agency • hackers • encryption • President Obama • security clearance

Wiretap Catches Rep Making Deal for Pro-Israel Lobby Group

Bushies helped kill probe of Dem Harman

Apr 20, 09 9:18 AM CDT
(Newser) - A wiretap by the National Security Agency caught California Rep. Jane Harman promising a suspected Israeli agent she’d intervene on behalf of two pro-Israeli lobbyists facing espionage charges, sources tell CQ Politics. In exchange, the agent promised to pressure then-minority leader Nancy Pelosi into making Harman chair of the... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • Israel • Alberto Gonzales • FBI • espionage • NSA • National Security Agency • wiretap • Jane Harman • AIPAC • warrantless wiretapping • Israeli lobby

(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... More »

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Senate hearings • Dianne Feinstein • Senate Intelligence Committee • National Security Agency • domestic wiretapping • inquiry • overcollection

NSA Violated Domestic Wiretap Limits

Agency overcollected Americans' emails, phonecalls: officials

Apr 16, 09 6:34 AM CDT
(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 ... More »

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Department of Justice • domestic surveillance • surveillance • National Security Agency • warrantless wiretapping • intercept

 Military Snooped 
 on Troops' 
 Phone Sex 

Intercept operators listened to calls of troops, journalists, aid workers for fun

Oct 10, 08 2:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - The US military routinely listened in on highly personal private phone calls of Americans calling home from the Middle East, two former operators told ABC News. President Bush has insisted that only the calls of terror suspects are monitored, but the whistleblowers say operators monitored the calls of blameless military... More »

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Senate Intelligence Committee • surveillance • National Security Agency • wiretap • Terrorist Surveillance Program • eavesdropping • whistleblower

Domestic Spying Shuts Down
US Foundation 

But offers no evidence, in 4 years, for 'aiding terrorists' charges

May 19, 08 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - The Al-Haramain foundation was wiretapped, raided, closed down, and had its accounts frozen 4 years ago for allegedly funding terrorists. The Ashland, Ore. group's leaders landed in legal and financial jeopardy, but to this day have not seen the evidence against them. Salon dissects the case as an example of... More »

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National Security Agency • domestic spying

House Rejects Immunity for Telecoms Again

Lawmakers OK surveillance bill, brush off threat of Bush veto

Mar 14, 08 3:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - The House again spurned President Bush today, passing a version of an anti-terrorism surveillance bill that does not grant retroactive immunity to the telecom companies that participated in the government's warrantless-wiretapping program. The vote was 213-197, far less than the two-thirds majority needed to override a promised presidential veto, Reuters... More »

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National Security Agency • FISA • Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act • warrantless wiretapping • immunity • telecommunications companies • George W. Bush

NSA Spying Branches Out

Domestic calls, email, financial transactions under scrutiny—all without a warrant

Mar 10, 08 2:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Traditionally charged with foreign surveillance, the NSA has increasingly been analyzing data collected domestically, reports the Wall Street Journal—on a scale comparable to that of a Pentagon proposal Congress killed 5 years ago. "When it got taken apart, it didn't get thrown away," says a former government... More »

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NSA • National Security Agency • wiretap • domestic spying • government spying • domestic wiretapping • data tracking • Intelligence Committee

Ex-Qwest CEO Claims Spy Effort Began Before 9/11

Says NSA sought phone records months earlier

Oct 13, 07 9:34 AM CDT
(Newser) - Joseph Nacchio, the former CEO of Qwest Communications, claims that the National Security Agency asked his company in February, 2001, to participate in a potentially illegal surveillance program—and when he declined, punished the company by dropping a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars, reports the Washington Post. The... More »

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Qwest • Joseph Nacchio • insider trading • National Security Agency • warrantless wiretapping

Dems Will Cave on Wiretaps

Despite earlier opposition, pols fear being labeled soft on terrorism

Oct 9, 07 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Despite having vowed to rein in the administration on wiretapping without warrants, congressional Democrats are preparing to approve bills which would maintain for several years the surveillance authority legalized this summer by the Protect America Act, the New York Times reports. Dems fear that opposing the legislation will label them... More »

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Nancy Pelosi • National Security Agency • warrantless wiretapping

Cheney Admits He Has Secret Wiretap Documents

But he'll resist Senate subpoena to see them

Aug 20, 07 11:29 PM CDT
(Newser) - Vice President Dick Cheney will resist efforts by Congress to force him to produce dozens of documents relating to a warrantless wiretapping program conducted by the National Security Agency, the Washington Post reports. Cheney's counsel acknowledged for the first time yesterday that the vice president's office has documents relating to... More »

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Congress • Dick Cheney • Senate Judiciary Committee • Patrick Leahy • subpoena • National Security Agency • wiretap • Shannen W. Coffin • warrantless wiretapping

Bush Signs Law Expanding  Wiretap Powers

Legalizes tapping calls and emails in and out
of US without warrant

Aug 6, 07 5:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - President Bush signed into law yesterday measures significantly expanding the government's authority to eavesdrop on millions of phone calls and e-mails going in and out of the US without warrants. The law, passed by Congress after bruising battles, effectively legalizes secret surveillance being conducted by a controversial National Security Agency... More »

MORE ABOUT:
privacy • surveillance • National Security Agency • wiretap • Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act • Tony Fratto • FISA Court • eavesdrop • George W. Bush

Rove Won't Testify, Citing Privilege

Counsel orders adviser to keep mum; Gonzales stands pat on testimony

Aug 2, 07 6:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - The White House has ordered Karl Rove to keep quiet—despite a subpoena by congressional Dems probing the US Attorney firings. In a political fait accompli, counsel Fred Fielding told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the adviser is "immune from compelled congressional testimony" about White House machinations. More »

MORE ABOUT:
Alberto Gonzales • Department of Justice • Karl Rove • investigation • Attorney General • Senate Judiciary Committee • White House • executive privilege • National Security Agency • warrantless wiretapping

FBI Chief's Testimony Contradicts Gonzales

Democrats demand perjury probe

Jul 27, 07 5:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - Pressure mounted on Alberto Gonzales yesterday as FBI director Robert Mueller directly contradicted the attorney general in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Mueller and Gonzales gave dramatically different accounts about  whether the Justice department's secret eavesdropping program was the subject of the now-legendary nighttime confrontation at the hospital bedside... More »

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Alberto Gonzales • Department of Justice • FBI • John Ashcroft • House Judiciary Committee • Robert Mueller • testimony • National Security Agency • Terrorist Surveillance Program • eavesdrop

Intel Memo Contradicts Gonzales

Senator threatens perjury probe over conflicting accounts

Jul 26, 07 8:39 AM CDT
(Newser) - Alberto Gonzales' Senate testimony this week is at odds with a year-old intelligence document, and the discrepancy may earn the AG in a congressional perjury investigation. At issue is a 2004 White House briefing, which Gonzales has repeatedly testified did not concern the warrantless wiretapping program; a memo from the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
Alberto Gonzales • John Ashcroft • Senate Judiciary Committee • Arlen Specter • Patrick Leahy • National Security Agency • Terrorist Surveillance Program • warrantless wiretapping

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