Sunday, February 05, 2006

Bush approved multi-agency program to spy on most Americans


Doug Thompson - Capitol Hill Blue:
Although President Bush publicly claims he has limited spying on Americans by the National Security Agency to overseas phone calls involving members of al-Qaeda, privately he has authorized a massive multi-agency domestic surveillance operation that routinely pries into the lives of millions of Americans who have no involvement in terrorism or represent no threat to the security of the United States.

Through executive orders or – more often – clandestine powers that he believes he possesses as a “wartime President,” Bush has ordered the Pentagon, FBI, NSA and CIA to expand domestic spying operations to levels never before seen by professional operations.

“It is unbelievable,” says a former CIA operative who resigned in disgust rather than spy on his own country. “We spend more time gathering intel on Americans than we do on real enemies of our country.”

Under orders from Bush, the military has sent agents out to infiltrate anti-war groups, liberal organizations and even workforces of municipal governments considered to be opponents of the administration. In Vermont, a group of Quakers discovered a Pentagon spy in their midst.

“In reality, we’re monitoring all phone calls, all emails, all forms of electronic communications,” admits a longtime NSA operative. “We listen to everyone in hopes of picking up a certain word or phrase.”

The FBI weekly issues thousands of “National Security Letters” which orders banks, employers and other entities to turn over information about Americans and forbids those same agencies from revealing they released the information.

"This is one of the most serious constitutional crises that we've ever faced in the country," said Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor. Turley added the president's claim of executive authority based on Article II "would put our system on a slippery slope."

"The president's use of the war resolution borders on absurdity," Turley continues. "To have the attorney general putting forward an interpretation that he cannot possibly believe is true -- because he's not a moron -- is deeply disturbing."...

Former FBI director William Sessions... calls the entire concept of domestic spying “a gross violation of basic American rights and a colossal abuse of Presidential power.”

Doug Thompson, who since 1994 has covered Ckinton, Bush and Washington GOP scandals, is stepping down.
I've been writing about the foibles, corruption and misdeeds of politicians for more than 40 years but the system we have today is worse than ever. I'm no longer sure that trying to educate a deaf audience through journalism is worth the time or the effort.

So I'm going to take the time to rest and consider other options. Capitol Hill Blue will continue with others who still believe it is the role of a journalist to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. If there is a better way, maybe I can find it. If not, maybe I will be back.



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