Secret U.S. Wiretapping Program Eyed

Justice Department Opens Internal Probe Of Information Obtained From Warrantless Surveillance Operation

(AP)  The Justice Department's internal watchdog said Monday it has opened an investigation into the agency's use of information gathered in the government's warrantless surveillance program.

In a letter to House Judiciary Committee leaders and obtained by The Associated Press, Inspector General Glenn A. Fine said his investigators would focus on the Justice Department's role in carrying out the spying program run by the National Security Agency.

Fine wrote that he wants to ensure that prosecutors and agents are following laws governing the handling of information NSA gathers when spying on suspected terrorists in the United States.

"After conducting initial inquiries into the program, we have decided to open a program review that will examine the department's controls and use of information related to the program," Fine wrote in the four-paragraph letter.

The review comes a week after a federal judge ruled that the NSA is not required to publicly release details about its secret wiretapping program, in which the agency monitors phone calls and e-mails between people in the U.S. and people in other countries when a link to terrorism is suspected.

Civil liberties groups criticize it as an expansion of presidential power, but the Justice Department says it is a necessary tool to fight terrorism.

"This is a long overdue investigation of a highly controversial program," incoming House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said in a statement.

The White House agreed to give investigators special clearances to probe the program, Fine noted in his letter to Conyers and the panel's current chair, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis. The request for clearances came Oct. 20, and was approved last week — following the Nov. 7 elections that gave Democrats control of Congress.

Earlier this year, Fine's office said it did not have jurisdiction to open an investigation into the legality of the administration's domestic eavesdropping program. At the time, Fine's office referred calls for an inquiry to the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, which reviews allegations of misconduct involving employees' actions when providing legal advice.

The Office of Professional Responsibility was denied extra security clearances to conduct an investigation that would include looking at some classified documents and other information that the Justice Department already possesses.

[frankly6]

sorry for the repeated post...computer problem

[frankly6]

uffdaron

Tho whole world dislikes Bush because his policies are misguided and incredibly destructive. What's amazing is that Americans are only now beginning to look deeper than the propaganda that he and his machine are putting out.

[frankly6]

uffdaron

Tho whole world dislikes Bush because his policies are misguided and incredibly destructive. What's amazing is that Americans are only now beginning to look deeper than the propaganda that he and his machine are putting out.

[uffdaron]

re. grumpas, I rest my case, thank you....uffdaron

[frankly6]

If you find bushrocks1 endless spamming of these pages to be disruptive and pointless, just click on "report this comment" below his post and report it.

[grumpas]

uffdaron hating Bush is not my whole life! It is only a very small part of it! The man doesn't have clue what the Constitution is (just a damned piece of paper according to him)! He does not believe in democracy either! In fact, he doesn't believe in anything that the US has ever stood for! If left to his devices we would no longer be a free country, he has made this abundantly clear! I am only left to wonder why people like you are not against him????? If you have so little regard for us as a nation you are willing to let an incompetent boob destroy us with his version of fascism! He has made a mockery of everything this country has ever stood for! If it weren't for people like us you wouldn't be living in America and enjoying what little freedoms Bush has left you he flushed the Constitution down the tolit! Get a life uffdaron!

[uffdaron]

Can anyone imagine having this discussion in Iraq, Iran, Afganistan, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, any of the 'stans... get real...hating President Bush is not a life...you who are so paranoid that Bushate is your whole passion need a trip overseas to check your reality and perspective.... Johnnie-Janie one notes are becoming boring.. thank God,Allah,Buddah, Whomever you worship that you are in America where we have the luxury and freedom to waste time on such silly rants. uffdaron

[kpokey]

Who would have believed any patriotic American would have let the government wire-tap, suspend habeas corpus, torture, ignore Geneva Convention rules and lead us into a war based on WMD...spreading democracy...liberating people from an evil dictator...I forget what the lie of the day is. All this "freedom is on the march" while our freedoms are crushed. That's the point of terrorists, crushing freedom and making people fearful. I guess for all those Bush supporters, the terrorists won. They are more than willing to give up their freedom and give into fear.

One would think that it would be public information who they tapped and what they heard, if they are so he11 bent on telling us that they prevented some terrorist activity they should be able to tell us what was said...........?

[aeasus]

tru_america1,
I have to disagree. Corrupt is by far to light of a word to describe the actions of the Bush administration.

[sandy5274]

We are taking a poll here as we think that this
creep bushrocs1 is either Jenna Bush or Barbara
Bush Junior,so please post your choice and the
winner gets to go destroy bushrocs1 computer and
help put bushrocs1 back into the straitjacket
again,as that should solve the problem nicely,
right?

[book54552134]

sandycat2 -
Perhaps you should take a look at Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. You need to educate yourself as your comments are incorrect.

[sandycat2]

Concerning the Geneva Convention, it governs soldiers who are in uniform and are captured on the battlefield. Terrorists captured fighting the US are not in uniform and routinely make war on civilians. Anyone captured not in uniform can be executed as a spy so we are treating these people much better than they deserve. And may I ask, in which war that the US was in, were captured US soldiers ever treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention. I bet you can't name one. I am sick of liberals stupid debate over this.

[frankly6]

If you find the posting and re-posting of the same message by Bushrocks1 pointless and counterproductive, just click on "report this comment" below his post and report it.

[aeasus]

lol, have the tribunal for the accused and send the rest to the 2.7% of Paraguay the Bush's now own. He displaced them,let him fix it!

[radiob-2009]

Aeasus I understand your point and agree that the term enemy combatant is loosely defined.Outside of a few isolated cases that were later dropped I do not know if anyone that is being detatined for contributing to a charity.The proffessor in Fla.(I may have the state wrong) who was charged for contributing to charities, it was later discovered that he had ties to Hezbollah.I am not sure where the case currently stands as the media has dropped the ball on it.

[radiob-2009]

We should adhere to the Geneva convention,torture is unacceptable.The detainees that were caught in Afghanistan were not all innocent and should be brought up on charges,those who are innocent is another problem that has no easy solution.As I said their own countries do not want them.So how do we redress that.Those that are guilty should have faced trial by now.

[aeasus]

According to Bill Goodman, Legal Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and Joanne Mariner, from FindLaw, this bill redefines unlawful enemy combatant in such a broad way that it refers to any person who is

engaged in hostilities or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States.

This makes it possible for US citizens to be designated unlawful enemy combatant because

it could be read to include anyone who has donated money to a charity for orphans in Afghanistan that turns out to have some connection to the Taliban or a person organizing an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C.

[aeasus]

I have a better question... why is it that other countries are required to adhere to the Geneva Conventions. Yet we are supposed to be a world leader and don't have to? Do we want our service men mistreated also? How can it be ok for us and not noone else? The world will just look at us like a two-faced forked tounge liar!!!

[radiob-2009]

Aeasus how do you propose the US deter individuals from becoming terrorist?Is a counter terrorism unit that infilitrates their networks and fights the propaganda from within a more comprehisive tool than detention of individuals without bringing charges a better tool?If so we are in agreement.Indefinite detentions without bringing charges is counterproductive, there are many individuals that have been held in custody that were in the wrong place at the wrong time.Unfortunately for them no country wants them.Do you recall the Chinese that were capture and detained at Guantomono Bay only to be finally relaesed but the tag of enemy combatant followed them.They could not go home, I do not recall what country eventually took them in.This is part of the dilema.What are we supposed to do with the ones that can be determined not be a threat when there own countries do not want them?Redress but how?