Bell Curve The Law Talking Guy Raised by Republicans U.S. West
Well, he's kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace "accidentally" with "repeatedly," and replace "dog" with "son."

Friday, May 12, 2006

Qwest for Justice?

NY Times reports that Qwest was the only telecommunications company to refuse to cooperate with the NSA's request for the calling records for millions of Americans. Qwest's ex-CEO Joseph Naccio said "no" when NSA admitted they had no warrant, and according to Naccio's lawyer, there was a, "disinclination on the part of the authorities to use any legal process."

We now have confirmation that the NSA asked for data on "virtually all" calls, despite Bush's equivocations. And since Naccio had been forced out in 2003 (after Qwest had been forced to "restate" and retract $1.1 Billion in nonexistent transactions), the NSA has had three years to mine the data.

So the NSA used patterns of calling to find "suspicious" people, wiretapped those people--and then for all we know, Bush labeled them "enemy combatants" and the CIA kidnapped them and "extraordinarily rendered" these "ghost detainees" to other countries. All without any court approval or oversight, of course--just Bush's word. And LTG is right when he points out (in earlier posts and comments) that Bush's word is worthless.

To get the Patriot Act renewed, Bush lied in 2004 and said he would never wiretap without a court order. Whenever someone leaks these secret programs to the press, the Bush administration hastily calls a press conference to deny the charges, attack the leakers, and say that in any case this is the end of it... and then along comes another whopper. Surprise!

LTG asks, "what next?" Let's hope what happens next is that the Democrats recapture the house and start investigating what's been going on behind closed doors. I shudder to think what dirty secrets might be "next." We know the NSA kept records on anti-war groups, even the quakers. Was LTG right, when he wrote in 12/19/2005 that it would eventually come out that the Bush administration used its unprecedented program of domestic surveillance for its own political purposes?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually, from what I have read, Qwest never has handed over date to the NSA. In fact, Naccio's replacement at Qwest continued on with Naccio's policy. I just read that somewhere, either the Washingotn Post or the NYT this las week. So the NSA has not had 3 years to mine Qwest data, unless there is some new revelation that I have missed.
 

// posted by USWest

Dr. Strangelove said...

That's what I was trying to say, USWest--but now that I re-read it, it does not look so clear. What I was trying to say was, yes, Qwest did not hand over the data. But Naccio's confirmation gives us a start-date for when NSA began to ask, so they have had three years to pore over the data they *did* receive from other carriers.

Anonymous said...

Folks! We'll never live the "Spittle speckled" image if we keep using words like "star date" in daily usage! :-)

I am increasingly certain that Bush has used the NSA, FBI and CIA to collect useful political information on just about anyone he sees as a threat to God's plan on Earth. And remember, Bush thinks that God chose G.W.Bush to our "Decider." So anything goes right? Anything to keep God's chosen coke-head/drunk in office, right!?

The bombshell is that Moveon.org and/or the Kerry Campaign itself were watched and information handed to the Bush campaign for strategic use in their campaign.

If that is what was going on, Kerry's campaign isn't looking so inept after all.  

// posted by Raised by Republicans

Anonymous said...

By the way, I don't trust anything Bush or his lackies say any more than I would be comforted by the flattery of Grima Wormtongue.

Bush reminds me more and more of Ar Pharazon of Numenor. What a jerk.  

// posted by Raised By Republicans

Dr. Strangelove said...

RbR: what do you mean by "star date"? Did you misread "start-date"?

Anonymous said...

Oops. Aren't I a silly little Hobbit. 

// posted by Raised By Republicans

Dr. Strangelove said...

Is the true nerd the one who misreads "star date" into a message...? :-)