NSA Had Domestic Call Monitoring Before 9/11?

MarkusQ writes "Bloomberg is reporting that, according to documents filed in the breach of privacy suit on behalf of Verizon and BellSouth, the NSA asked AT&T to set up its domestic call monitoring site seven months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Could it be that they were intending to monitor domestic calls (and internet traffic) all along, and the 'Global War on Terror' was just a convenient excuse when they got caught?" From the article: "...an unnamed former employee of the AT&T unit provided them with evidence that the NSA approached the carrier with the proposed plan. Afran said he has seen the worker's log book and independently confirmed the source's participation in the project. He declined to identify the employee."

Comments

Stop Crying It's Not That Bad!

[Stop Crying Bitch!]

The NSA along with several other agencies have been monitoring America's phone calls and e-mails for many years. Why is it that people are only starting to care about it now? Can any of you say ECHELON program? I am serious, what is the major concern? Do you think they will come after you for calling your weed dealer? Get a life!

Most of you act like a bunch of educated imbeciles on this site. What are you proving? NOTHING! It's obvious that all of this was going on in front of your eyes, nothing was hidden. Look at the NSA's TRAILBLAZER project, and the GROUNDBREAKER project. The signs were smacking you right in the face. Also, what about your ISPs forcing you to use their SMTP servers? Don't you think that was because of an agreement with the government?

Just let the NSA and other agencies do their job, PROTECT YOUR SORRY ASSES! If you work in Corporate America, you assume there is no privacy in the workplace. Why do you accept that, where you can get in trouble for the slightest policy violation. Then turn around and cry about the NSA monitoring phone calls and emails, and not get in trouble unless you are a drug lord or terrorist. It's time to grow up and stop wasting precious hard drive space with your complaints!

Re:LoL. Can you people even remember last week?

[evilviper]

As if these programs were instituted by der furher the day he was inaugurated.

I know, I know... The facts are liberal. Go turn on Fox News and keep away from nasty "facts".

The fact is this WAS first instituted right after Bush came to office. You can't deny that.

The truth is that these programs have been going on for years but none of you cared.

Right, nobody cared about Carnivore. In fact I've never heard that name before...

1. Carnivore first hit slashdot during the Clinton Administration.

And Carnivore was run by the NSA.... Tapped phones, not just internet links... and all without requiring any warrants, right... Right???

The legendary "Echelon" - the NSA program for monitoring all telecom traffic has been bandied about for many years

That should read "all telecom traffic OUTSIDE THE US". And, being outside the US it falls squarely within the authority of the NSA (domestic surveilance does not). If there was any evidence they were ever spying inside the country (insane crackpots need not apply), you'd have heard about it, and it would have been just as big of a deal as this is.