Gilead is Watching You
Los Angeles Times:

WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency, which eavesdrops on electronic communications around the world, receives thousands of requests each year from U.S. government officials seeking the names of Americans who show up in intercepted calls or e-mails — and complies in the vast majority of cases without challenging the basis for the requests, current and former intelligence officials said.

The volume of requests and the NSA's almost reflexive practice of disclosing Americans' identities — which under federal law are shielded unless there is a compelling intelligence reason for releasing a name — have come as a surprise even to some members of Congress and government officials deeply involved in intelligence matters.

Huh. I bet your average Jane or Joe Citizen isn't surprised at all.

Officials from the NSA and other agencies say that the disclosures are proper and that there are significant protections against abuse. But the practice is coming under new scrutiny because of the recent disclosure that John R. Bolton, President Bush's nominee for ambassador to the U.N., submitted numerous requests for the identities of U.S. officials whose conversations were recorded by the NSA while monitoring overseas targets.

During his confirmation hearings, Bolton — the undersecretary of State for arms control and international security — initially said he had made such requests "on a couple of occasions, maybe a few more." His reason, he said, was that in evaluating intelligence reports, sometimes "it's important to find out who is saying what to whom."

The State Department subsequently revealed that Bolton had sought the names of Americans in at least 10 cases since 2001, and that the department as a whole had submitted about 400 requests during that period.

Well, well, well. I'm sure Bolton wasn't engaged in any retaliatory tactics or anything like that. But, then again...

One issue is whether Bolton, who had access to highly classified intelligence, had legitimate reasons for requesting names or was seeking information on Bush administration rivals.

What was it Ari Fleischer said? Oh yes--"People have to watch what they say and watch what they do." Because the NSA is watching you.
- posted by TJ @ 7:02 PM