NYCLifeinaFishbowl
By
Antony Chow
Today's
comic:
Commentary:
This week, USA Today reported
that the National Security Agency (NSA) has compiled record phones of
Americans since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Apparently, NSA
got around the legality issues by restricting collection to "data",
i.e. who made calls to whom, on what date and time, etc., rather than
actually listening in on the conversations. The NSA received
cooperation from Verizon, AT&T, and BellSouth.
Since Gen. Michael Hayden, the guy who headed NSA and therefore oversaw
this program, has been nominated to head the CIA, this gives a great
opportunity for U.S. Senators to grill him extensively on this program,
which was hidden from both the American public and members of Congress
until the USA Today report. So. . . let me throw out some
questions for Gen. Hayden:
1. Since the creation of this domestic phone records collection
program, has any American been identified as a member of Al-Qaeda
through this program? If so, in numerical terms how many?
2. What metrics or criteria is used to determine or detect terrorist activity by the American caller?
3. Of those Americans suspected of engaging in terrorist activities, as
identified by this program, has their phone conversations ever been
monitored in real time (eavesdropped)? And if so, was it done
after obtaining permission from a court or was such monitoring done
solely at NSA's discretion?
4. Has any action ever been taken against an American as a result of
this program? Was anyone ever arrested or detained or charged
with a crime?
