They know who we're calling
Richard Sisk
New York Daily News
_______________
Washington (US):
A new furor over Big Brother tactics erupted yesterday when it was revealed that the Bush administration has been tracking nearly every phone call in the country over the past five years. The colossal secret database of phone calls, first reported by USA Today, prompted Democratic and Republican members of Congress to demand answers from the White House, and at least one Senate committee chairman promptly called for public hearings.
President Bush did not confirm the massive tracking program, but in a hastily arranged White House announcement tried to assure Americans he was protecting their privacy.
"We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," Bush said.
"The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. ... The privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities," the President said. He did not take any questions.
Bush defenders on Capitol Hill confirmed that the National Security Agency began collecting records of landline and cell phone calls shortly after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and condemned leaks on the project.
But Democrats and several Republicans questioned the program's legality.
After 9/11, the NSA secretly contracted with AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth for the records on all calls made over the more than 200 million phones serviced by the firms. The Denver-based Qwest firm refused to turn over data on its 14 million phones.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino tried to downplay any sense of domestic spying.
May 12, 2006
Richard Sisk
New York Daily News
_______________
Washington (US):
A new furor over Big Brother tactics erupted yesterday when it was revealed that the Bush administration has been tracking nearly every phone call in the country over the past five years. The colossal secret database of phone calls, first reported by USA Today, prompted Democratic and Republican members of Congress to demand answers from the White House, and at least one Senate committee chairman promptly called for public hearings.
President Bush did not confirm the massive tracking program, but in a hastily arranged White House announcement tried to assure Americans he was protecting their privacy.
"We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," Bush said.
"The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. ... The privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities," the President said. He did not take any questions.
Bush defenders on Capitol Hill confirmed that the National Security Agency began collecting records of landline and cell phone calls shortly after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and condemned leaks on the project.
But Democrats and several Republicans questioned the program's legality.
After 9/11, the NSA secretly contracted with AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth for the records on all calls made over the more than 200 million phones serviced by the firms. The Denver-based Qwest firm refused to turn over data on its 14 million phones.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino tried to downplay any sense of domestic spying.
May 12, 2006
