NSA punishes Qwest for refusing to spy on Americans.
By on Oct 11th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
NSA punishes Qwest for refusing to spy on Americans.
Documents released in an insider trading trial yesterday reveal that “the National Security Agency and other government agencies retaliated against Qwest because the Denver telco refused to go along with a phone spying program.” In the documents, former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio is quoted as saying “the request was both inappropriate and illegal, and repeatedly refusing to go along with it.” Nacchio’s lawyer said the CEO “refused to turn over customer telephone records because he didn’t think the NSA program had legal standing.”
(HT: Atrios)
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Qwest had the balls to do the right thing and say NO.
October 11th, 2007 at 1:58 pmJoe Nacchio is a courageous man with profound respect for our Bill of Rights. Corporate America needs sorely more people like him.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:01 pmGee. Why didn’t GDumbya request immunity for Qwest when he commented on the RESTORE legislation?
October 11th, 2007 at 2:01 pmDarth Cheney in his death star is cranking up his superlaser beam and focusing it now on something called “Qwest”.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:02 pmwhy isn’t my mother in law hearing Diane Sawyer and Matt Lauer talking about this stuff?
who needs immunity for doing something legal? nobody, that’s who.
this QWEST thing is a jawbone that could smack the Admin RIGHT upside the head. too bad nobody really does that sort of thing anymore.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:06 pmBring QWEST to NC! Good Job You All!
October 11th, 2007 at 2:08 pmI’m sorry I don’t live in Colorado and I can’t give QWEST my business. But I can applaud Nacchio’s courage for doing what’s right. I hope the telecom companies who caved to the Bush administration threats and intimidation get their asses sued.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:09 pmLet’s all support QWest for not bending over to the dictator’s illegal wishes! Thanks for supporting the rule of law in this country, QWest! The people are behind you.
Also, go to huffpo if you want to see why maybe Ms.Jenna is so hurriedly engaged - prego Jenna? I’d bet money on it.
As for why she’s not in Iraq, perhaps it’s because she’s got a bun in the oven.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pmThank you QWest for doing the right thing and not going along with this illegal Fascist administration.
Buck Fush
October 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pmEither that or Jenna’s been drinking too much beer and cheetos.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pmAre my eyes deceiving me, or did these illegal requests pre-date 9/11?
Seems Nacchio was not playing ball with the NSA in early 2001, and this ended up with Qwest not getting a NSA contract, which was awarded in July 2001.
Part of me can understand the Telcos being more co-operative with the Bushies going all Patriot Act on their a$$, but the spying - and FISA lawbreaking? - seems to have been underway before 9/11 changed everything.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:10 pmAnd the telecom companies who bent over to be screwed by Bush need to be boycotted, if at all possible. Some have monopolies depending where you live, but if you can, boycott the hell out of the ones who violated our constitutional rights.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:11 pmWe need a list of the law-breaking telecon companies quick!
October 11th, 2007 at 2:11 pmIt’s sad when a corporation has to remind the government what’s illegal and what’s not.
Also I have Qwest, and the service is kinda sucky :) but at least they have some morals.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:12 pmI’m sending $5 to Qwest.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:12 pmdumb_fox: Everything did change after 9/11 which is precisely why we need to get to the bottom of who knew what and when. Maybe the perpetrator was actually a “hired mercenary” from Blackwater? Or just OBL still under contract to this government?
October 11th, 2007 at 2:13 pmEMAIL QWEST TO CONGRATULATE THEM ON THEIR NON CONFORMITY AND TELL THEM OF YOUR SUPPORT.
I DID.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:24 pmOh man.
I so very badly want my country back…..
October 11th, 2007 at 2:37 pm“It’s just outrageous how the people of this country bend over to let the criminals in the government screw them..”.
It’s not the “people”. Two organizations alone shoulder the responsibility: the GOP and the democratic party.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:43 pmI work in the Telecommunications field. And I have cursed Qwest name countless times, they are hard to work with. But I take all that back. Good going Qwest!
October 11th, 2007 at 2:44 pmThe truth is, Nacchio is a pretty scummy businessman. This suggests to me that what the NSA is doing is way, way over the line.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:55 pmYou can get long distance service from Qwest whehter or not you are in the mountain west:
http://pcat.qwest.com/ pcat/ profile.do;jsessionid=HTxC6JYyTDljbDk7lTTPQPvZZ6VkTbnJsS1hwd2yvk1wrnsrVPg0!-1081303830?salesChannel=null
{No, I do not work for QWEST or know anyone who works for QWEST.}
October 11th, 2007 at 2:55 pmParaphrasing GWB:
October 11th, 2007 at 2:55 pmWe must grant protection to companies who are facing the wrath of the NSA only because they are believed to have not assisted in the efforts to break our nation laws following the 9/11 attacks.
I understand T-Mobile did not go along with the surveillance. Does anyone know for sure whether that’s true. I do k now they give more money to Democrats, and are considered a “Blue” company, though not as much as Apple Computer.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:19 pmHow anybody could look at that picture and not see that it is an EXPLOSION, clearly indicates that the US is a country of IDIOTS!
Comment by criticalthinker — October 11, 2007 @ 2:25 pm
While I respect your comment/belief, I doubt many more will extend such an arm of doubt when you call them idiots. That’s just not the way to get people to believe what you believe.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:22 pmPart of me can understand the Telcos being more co-operative with the Bushies going all Patriot Act on their a$$, but the spying - and FISA lawbreaking? - seems to have been underway before 9/11 changed everything.
Comment by Dumb_Fox — October 11, 2007 @ 2:10 pm
Yes. To be precise, the first meeting Nacchio attended where the topic was raised (and since he refused, obviously cooperation asked for) was a little over a month after the Bush administration were inaugerated. We don’t know, yet, when the NSA met with Verizon, et.al. But this clearly indicates that the “Cheney agenda” was in play as soon as they got into power. Once they had the infrastructure in place, they then pulled out the big guns to ensure the support of the American people. Hence, 9/11. We aren’t in danger of an impending dictatorship. We’ve got one. We ARE in danger of a completely totalitarian state, and if you think elections are going to change this course, then you aren’t paying attention. Or perhaps you want to tell me what’s changed since Jan. of 2007? Is the war/occupation over? Has Habeus Corpus been revived? Has the illegal spying on U.S. citzens been stopped? When Pelosi became Speaker, and one of her earliest statements was that “impeachment is off the table,” I knew we were done here.
And for your entertainment, ladies and gentlemen, I give you “bread and circuses.” Our democracy has become smoke and mirrors. I invite you to prove me wrong. Tell me WHAT’S CHANGED?
October 11th, 2007 at 3:22 pm.
Why does the NSA hate America/Anericans?
.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:33 pmAlso I have Qwest, and the service is kinda sucky :) but at least they have some morals.
Comment by DennisRaines — October 11, 2007 @ 2:12 pm
I, too, live in QWest country but have no admiration for Nacchio’s ENRON behavior. He has milked close to 100 million dollars from the pockets of the shareholders and the employee’s benefits programs and has been convicted, now awaiting his appeal. I admire what QWest did, but also have to factor in the “rest of the story”.
October 11th, 2007 at 3:34 pmNot to change the subject. But WE THE PEOPLE need to vote out every incumpent, revoke their $100,000 pensions. They don’t want term limits, we can force it on them. Vote All the bastards out…
October 11th, 2007 at 4:52 pm“Cheney agendaâ€
that has been in place for over 30 years. and guess what ‘mission accomplished.’ let’s never doubt what that statement meant from the very beginning. they knew what they were saying when posting that. and folks it’s a sad sad reality. and we are to blame because we are to chicken shit and preoccupied being greedy and self absorbed to give a rats ass about our nation. until we revolt and hold a ‘coo’ this will go on forever. welcome to the zionist owned nazi ran america.
October 11th, 2007 at 5:13 pmNot to change the subject. But WE THE PEOPLE need to vote out every incumpent, revoke their $100,000 pensions. They don’t want term limits, we can force it on them. Vote All the bastards out…
Comment by Give me back my country
I agree, but there are some notable exceptions. Russ Feingold, Dennis Kucinich and Barbara Boxer all come to mind. And, my own Senator Ron Wyden. He did not vote to approve military action against Iraq and has been on the right side of most votes ever since.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:15 pmI don’t live in Qwest territory, but I sure wish I did. I bought stock instead, and I’m up 40 percent as of now.
October 11th, 2007 at 7:47 pmIf the NSA were truly interested in tracking terrorists, they would have gone to Qwest with the proper warrants to get the info they needed.
They didn’t.
So much for Bush wanting to “protect America.”
For all of these idiots who say they have nothing to hide and don’t mind if the NSA listens in on their calls, I want them to give their e-mail logon information to every stranger they can find, and then tell us that they don’t mind anyone reading their e-mail. Given the laptops that government employees have removed from their places of employment and taken home with them, we have already learned several times over that individuals cannot be trusted.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:45 pmNote to self:
Order Quest next time.
∞
October 12th, 2007 at 2:23 amLook at the date that Nacchio had his White House meeting: 02/27/2001 - suggests to me that what became known as, “The Program”, predated 9/11. Also, take a look at which companies actually accepted the contract to privatize NSA - Verizon, AT&T and a bunch of defense contractors.
Bottom line - the same companies that are now facing liability for warrantless surveillance are the very same ones that took over the NSA’s domestic surveillance function when it was privatized as part of Operation Groundbreaker in July, 2001. Immunization would reward these very same companies for abuses they, themselves, planned and carried out before 9/11.
See, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/11/17489/086
October 12th, 2007 at 7:22 am