PJ NSA Files

Background

2008-03-09T17:01:56Z

President Bush has authorized wiretaps of foreign calls to the USA from persons with alleged Al Qaeda ties. Is this legal? NSAFiles is a Pajamas Media blog that examines the controversy over surveillance methods of the National Security Agency, as well as related intellligence matters.

The State of National Security

2006-03-06T21:29:25Z

AJ Strata points us to an op-ed by the other Republican senator from Arizona--Jon Kyl--on the dynamic nature of the Global War on Terror and our efforts in successfully adapting to the changes.

Shooting The Messenger

2006-03-06T19:01:37Z

When I looked in on David Horowitz’ regular gathering of movement conservatives last week there was a lot of loose talk about hoping the New York Times will get prosecuted. Y’know, for publishing the leaked info about the NSA surveillance program.

I just shrugged all that off as cheap, partisan wanking. The same way I shrug off the way some liberals are now talking about impeachment. Ain’t gonna happen.

Turns out — at least on the first issue– I could be wrong.

NSA: The Evolving Justification

2006-03-02T16:55:41Z

I didn’t get around to blogging this yesterday, but much was made of this Washington Post article with a couple of interesting tidbits regarding the NSA Surveillance program; a hint that there is more unrevealed eavesdropping going on than the President’s program, and a tacit admission that the AUMF argument is of recent vintage.

Terrorists' Early Warning System: The New York Times

2006-02-28T19:08:26Z

The New York Times is suing the Department of Defense in order to get the department to disclose (more) classified information, specifically the names of persons targeted by the National Security Agency's Terrorist Surveillance Program. Bluto at My Pet Jawa has more. AJ Strata wonders whether the New York Times staff has high-level sources of information on this matter.

The NSA At Work

2006-02-22T03:03:12Z

I wonder how these three terrorists were caught in the United States ... I bet you can guess where I am going with this ... The NSA apparently wiretapped these individuals and now have an indictment.

FISA risking American lives

2006-02-20T22:45:41Z

[I]f FISA’s sole purpose is to throw out leads from the NSA, or wait until the FBI can confirm the lead independently (which can never happen in 72 hours) I think it is time to toss out FISA and the secret judges who are making idiotic decisions about national security in a secret Star Chamber court. ...

The Judiciary and Congress have no more say on this matter than they do on how to wage any military action.

Surveilling the Surveillance

2006-02-18T23:11:37Z

Yesterday—in contrast to the House decision--the Senate rejected further inquiry into the NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program. The legislative body’s Democrats, however, are none too pleased about it.

"It is more than apparent to me that the White House has applied heavy pressure in recent days, in recent weeks, to prevent the committee from doing its job," Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), vice chairman of the intelligence committee, said after the panel voted along party lines not to consider his motion for an investigation.

Along with many other observers, Ed Morrissey at Captain’s Quarters and Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom continue to monitor—if you’ll pardon the pun—the developments regarding any subsequent action in regard to the program. Ed notes that Senator Pat Roberts (R-KN), Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, is now suggesting that a new judicial body be created for the program.

Jeff has a long series of posts containing pertinent laws, research, coupled with extensive interpretation and commentary.

Judge Orders DOJ to Expedite Release of NSA Documents

2006-02-17T14:44:09Z

The first judicial opinion touching on the NSA domestic surveillance program was issued today, and it didn't go well for the Bush Administration.

More Wrangling Over the NSA Surveillance Program

2006-02-17T14:41:02Z

On the same day that Pat Roberts indicated he was satisfied for now that the Administration was willing to negotiate an updated FISA, thus declining to hold hearings in the Senate Select Committee On Intelligence, Representatives in the House apparently agreed to move forward with their hearing, though the scope is in dispute:

Congressional probe of NSA program fizzles

2006-02-16T06:52:46Z

As it became clear FISA was stonewalling the same kinds of leads that would have prevented 9-11, any politician worth their salt was not going to stand against Bush’s decision.

Will White House Pressure Block Congressional NSA Hearings?

2006-02-15T14:11:47Z

The Washington Post has the latest.

Don't bug me

2006-02-15T00:23:33Z

One of the more annoying self righteous attacks on the administration in recent years (and perhaps the most disingenuous) is the whole surveillance controversy...We’re constantly hearing from lefties how America is turning to a fascist country. That we should be more like Europe. The European lefties themselves chime in with their smarmy finger-snapping disdain.

For Europeans, scolding the Bush administration for everything from Guantanamo to the Iraq War to secret CIA prisons has become a full-time job. But when it comes to the American scandal over President Bush’s warrantless wiretaps, there’s been a curious reaction from the other side of the Atlantic: silence.

Democrats courting a long political drought

2006-02-13T20:24:39Z

Have you noticed how the Democrats have gone mostly silent recently on the NSA/FISA issue? Particularly on the "Impeach Bush" hysteria? It can be explained by this article:

Two key Democrats yesterday called the NSA domestic surveillance program necessary for fighting terrorism but questioned whether President Bush had the legal authority to order it done without getting congressional approval.

Carter spied, and then he lied

2006-02-11T21:25:02Z

Despite former President Jimmy Carter's pointed jabs at the Bush administration over the NSA surveillance program this past week, it turns out that Carter has more familiarity with warrantless eavesdropping than he let on...

Not only does Jimmy Carter betray his hypocrisy here, but his Attorney General told Congress when it debated the FISA law in 1978 that FISA would not impede the president from exercising precisely this power under the Constitution.