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Judge Finds NSA Wiretapping Program Illegal

Posted by samzenpus on from the time-to-get-a-warrant dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that a federal judge has ruled that the NSA's warrantless surveillance program was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration's effort to keep one of Bush's most disputed counterterrorism policies shrouded in secrecy. Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that the government had violated a 1978 federal statute requiring court approval for domestic surveillance when it intercepted phone calls of Al Haramain, a now-defunct Islamic charity in Oregon, and of two lawyers who were representing it in 2004. Declaring that the plaintiffs had been 'subjected to unlawful surveillance,' the judge said that the government was liable to pay them damages."

2 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Pay Damages? by kenh · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    The excerpt said:

    the judge said that the government was liable to pay them damages

    Now, what if it is found that those damages payments are in fact funneled to a terrorist organization, could the government be tried for aiding our enemies by giving them money? That could make for some interesting blog posts on both the left AND the right!

    --
    Ken
  2. Pass the buck by Alarindris · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    the judge said that the government was liable to pay them damages

    #1 Who is this Mr. Government?
    #2 Where does this Mr. Governments income come from?

    I see.

    This isn't justice, it's a fucking joke. How apt for Apr. 1st.