NSA analyst ‘improperly accessed’ Bill Clinton’s e-mail through domestic surveillance program.
NSA analyst ‘improperly accessed’ Bill Clinton’s e-mail through domestic surveillance program.
The New York Times reports today that members of Congress are increasingly concerned about the extent of the NSA’s domestic surveillance program, particularly the overcollection of the private telephone calls and e-mail messages of Americans. An anonymous former intelligence analyst tells reporters James Risen and Eric Lichtblau that during much of the Bush years, the NSA “tolerated significant collection and examination of domestic e-mail messages without warrants.” Reportedly, one of the accessed domestic e-mail accounts belonged to former President Bill Clinton:
He said he and other analysts were trained to use a secret database, code-named Pinwale, in 2005 that archived foreign and domestic e-mail messages. He said Pinwale allowed N.S.A. analysts to read large volumes of e-mail messages to and from Americans as long as they fell within certain limits — no more than 30 percent of any database search, he recalled being told — and Americans were not explicitly singled out in the searches.
The former analyst added that his instructors had warned against committing any abuses, telling his class that another analyst had been investigated because he had improperly accessed the personal e-mail of former President Bill Clinton.
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The former analyst added that his instructors had warned against committing any abuses, telling his class that another analyst had been investigated because he had improperly accessed the personal e-mail of former President Bill Clinton.
And what happened to that analyst ?
Probably not a damned thing ………Figures
June 17th, 2009 at 10:33 amWonder if someone else named Clinton had her emails searched. . . or if folks with names like Gore, Kerry, Edwards, etc. had a few accounts accessed. Once upon a time an administration fell because of this kind of abuse of power. Now people just shrug.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:39 amWhat needs to happen is someone to “improperly access” the e-mails and private documents of Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, etc., then watch them twist in the wind as they try to defend and attack the domestic surveillance program simultaneously.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:41 amCould it be that the Reich considers Clinton a terrorist?
Ya think!
June 17th, 2009 at 10:41 amYou bet your sweet bippy.
I firmly believe they have most, if not all, congresscritters’ private e-mails as well.
How else can one explain Dems rolling over on command every time the Right wants something?
Human Rights in America include the right to privacy. Bush’s war on human rights has polluted the principles of democracy.
Rescind the Patriot Act. Investigate NSA. Make it public record.
That would be a good starting point, at least…
June 17th, 2009 at 10:41 amBush’s spying program was nothing more than high tech Watergate. There is no doubt in my mind that every phone call, every e-mail and every internal discussion of Kerry’s campaign was tracked and handed over to BushCo.
Patriot Act my ass.
PEACE
June 17th, 2009 at 10:47 amThank God the dems raised hell, cited the Constitution, and didn’t pass telecom immunity, which would render it virtually impossible to investigate and prosecute this kind of outrageous, illegal crap…
Oh..wait…
June 17th, 2009 at 10:48 amduring much of the Bush years, the NSA “tolerated significant collection and examination of domestic e-mail messages without warrants.”
Oh, Jesus H. Christ on a crutch!
They couldn’t keep track of KKKarl Rove’s emails, but the former President — those they can archive.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:51 amThis makes Watergate look like a misdemeanor!!
That is what happens when you don’t prosecute crooks like Nixon. Instead, he gets a “pardon” and his mafia (rumsfeld/cheney) live on to perfect and “legalize” political espionage.
The entire “patriot act” is disgusting!
June 17th, 2009 at 10:53 amNewsflash America:
The War on Terror is a hoax.
June 17th, 2009 at 10:55 amLooks like Jeb Bush isn’t the only one that can call Dubya Big Brother….
June 17th, 2009 at 11:00 am‘Yesterday’s’ Congress Critter: “If we don’t permit unlimited unregulated domestic wiretapping there will be a Muslim terrorist in every back yard in America! Anyone who objects to this Bill obviously hates America’s Freedoms ! ”
Today’s Congress Critter: “If we don’t stop unlimited unregulated domestic wiretapping America’s freedoms will be destroyed and the terrorists will have won!
June 17th, 2009 at 11:01 amAnyone who objects to this Anti-Wiretapping Bill obviously hates America Freedoms!“
Anyone who sends anything important via email is a fool.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:06 amI seem to recall a story, a number of months ago, about some Republican members of Congress finding out that their emails had been scooped up by the NSA, at which time they finally began to object to the entire program. (They had no problem with the program when it was just “ordinary Americans” whose privacy rights were being violated.)
June 17th, 2009 at 11:11 amWell so far we know that the Bush Administration’a “enhanced interrogation techniques” were defended by the Bushies as desperately needed for our national defense. Now we know that the program was instead implemented solely to garner false tesimony from detainess in order to link Iraq to al queda. The proof in this is that the Bush WH new full well that intel or confessions obtained through these techniques would not be admissible in court, they just wanted it to strengthen their propaganda war. At the time of the Protect America Act, fear was once again used to rush this legislation through Congress under the ruse of national defense. I would not be at all surprised, in fact I have long felt, that the Protect America Act along with the strongarmed extensions of the Patriot Act were not in any way devised to protect America from terrorists. We all know that the terrorist networks would not be dumb enough to telegraph their intentions via traceable cellphones or e-mails. As a matter of fact to my knowlege not one terrorist cell has been broken up and not one plot has been uncovered through these highly invasive and un-Constitutional laws. Reason enough to rescind them. Bushco undoubtedly utilized these tools to keep his opposition in check (see Jane Harman) on both sides of the aisle. I am afraid that my worst fears were in fact true that every single one of our Constitutionally protected freedoms that Bush pulled out from under Americans were intended not to protect Americans from the brown-skinned boogeymen, but for political largess meant to give Bush and Cheney free reign to start wars for profit and guarantee a Republican majority. It’s been said by myself and others over the years but the situation with the Bush Administration screams for the use of the Rico Act. This was a well organized and orchestrated attempt at filling our Government with lifetime jobs for loyal Bushies, illegal spying on an opposing political party, illegal wars justified with the use of lies garnered from an illegal torture program. The entire Bush Administration from the head on down to the lowliest minions in the CIA have broken so many laws both domestic and international, shit on our Constitution and crippled the world’s economy yet they still strut around freely attempting to rewrite history and making money giving speeches around the Country. Never in the history of America has there been a more blatant abuse of powers, contempt for our laws and flaunting of obvious treasonous acts commited by a Presidential Administration. Where has AG Holder been since January anyway?
June 17th, 2009 at 11:23 amwinddancer Says:
I seem to recall a story, a number of months ago, about some Republican members of Congress finding out that their emails had been scooped up by the NSA, at which time they finally began to object to the entire program. (They had no problem with the program when it was just “ordinary Americans” whose privacy rights were being violated.)
Like 2-year-olds, nothing happens in GNOPerLand until it happens to them. I’m sure they had no problem with spying on Democrats.
PEACE
June 17th, 2009 at 11:25 ammary lacewing Says
June 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Anyone who sends anything important via email is a fool.
____________________________________________________________
I agree, because e-mail is (unfortunately) relatively easy to hack into. Even Sarah Palin’s private e-mails were hacked into by some determined individuals.
But this doesn’t excuse the NSA from spying on private e-mail accounts of Americans without cause.
If the e-mail account is owned by another (such as an employer), it’s reasonable to assume the “owner” has the right to read anything in it (which is why, if you send offensive material using your work e-mail, you could get fired). If the e-mail account is a government account, the contents should be archived and made public (or classified according to procedure) — which is why we got a bit exercised about the deletion of mass e-mails during the Bush administration.
Private e-mail accounts should not be read by anyone without a warrant. Like phone calls. Period.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:28 amLet’s also not forget that during the presidential election season then Senator Obama as well as Senator’s Clinton and McCain’s passport and travel details were illegally pulled up and read by outside contractors working for Bush at the State Department:
June 17th, 2009 at 11:35 amhttp://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/21/obama.passport/index.html
Watching Holder on c-span right now……Meet the new boss same as the old boss….
I’m with Real Time Bill…this is not what I voted for!
June 17th, 2009 at 11:36 amSo what’s the purpose of encrypting e-mail or for that matter encrypting any “personal” digital information that people send if NSA is violationg our 4th Amendment?
Once a email has been flagged who get’s that information and what is done with e-mail?
I wonder if NSA is spying on the “Evil-Ruthless Traitor” Cheney, now that he is a civilian, who could possibly be plotting a domestic terror attack?
June 17th, 2009 at 11:43 amI don’t know about anyone yes, but I don’t trust Di-Fi as fas as I could throw her.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:50 amRepublicans take note. Obama can read all your emails. Your welcome!
June 17th, 2009 at 12:04 pm#15 – A Patriotic Anopheles Acting Says:
Very well said, and I completely agree.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:14 pmResponding to the Times story, Senate Intel Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) said there have not been flagrant violations of rules governing surveillance of American e-mails and phone calls.
How the hell do you know that, Senator?
What’s the definition of “flagrant,” Senator?
What did they find in YOUR email, Senator?
June 17th, 2009 at 12:17 pmspencers mom Says:
——————————————————————————–
Bush’s spying program was nothing more than high tech Watergate. There is no doubt in my mind that every phone call, every e-mail and every internal discussion of Kerry’s campaign was tracked and handed over to BushCo.
Patriot Act my ass.
Well said! You’re singing my song, sister.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:31 pmFeinstein please don’t be so naive into thinking that, “there have not been flagrant violations of rules governing surveillance of American e-mails and phone calls.” Especially, under the Bush/Cheney Torture Administration considering everything they did was flagrant and foul.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:31 pmDoes the Justice Department have internet access?
Maybe there’s a Starbucks with Wi-Fi across the street?
I’m sure the courageous crimefighter Eric Holder would be all over this if he took a break from framing Al Qaeda wannabee losers to check the news of the day.
June 17th, 2009 at 12:35 pm20. ranus69 -
I think you’re alluding to the fact that, by law, encryption systems must have a back door that the govt can use to get in.
June 17th, 2009 at 2:21 pmFormer recess-appointed United States U.N. ambassador John Bolton years ago (before he was recess appointed) demanded and received unredacted NSA intercept transcripts.
Reportedly, he’d read the blacked-out redacted copies, but wanted to know the identity of the American citizens (including some elected officials apparently) whose conversations/messages had been captured by the NSA.
Typical totalitarian tactics: keep everyone else under surveillance, while blocking access to and/or destroying any internal communications/records within the regime.
Hmmmm, I wonder where denying public access to White House visitor logs falls in the totalitarian scheme of things?
We know the corrupt, totalitarian-minded Bush administration vehemently blocked the release of White House visitor logs (ala Cheney’s secretive Energy Task Force), but we now see the Obama administration carrying on this Bush administration tradition…though hopefully shortlived.
Just like the corrupt Bush administration, what is the Obama administration trying to hide?
Since Obama was inaugurated, I’ve been wondering when his administration was going to release the White House visitor logs from the previous corrupt Republican administration (both four-year terms), but with this latest news that the Obama administration is treating the Secret Service-maintained visitor logs as “executive privilege,” I have major doubts that we’ll ever learn who has been visiting our House, whether in the corrupt Bush/Cheney administrations or now in the Obama administration.
(Note: I voted for President Obama, not only for drastic change from the corrupt Republican policies that have done so much harm to our democracy, but also to hold the corrupt Bush/Cheney Republicans accountable for their foul deeds. To say the least, I’m a little disappointed so far).
June 17th, 2009 at 3:54 pmRead ALTERNET today!!!!
This is of great and pressing importance. It is one thing which is missing in TP since ObaOba took office…
Shame: The ‘Anti-War’ Democrats Who Sold Out
ALTERNET
It is time to realy think of progress…
June 17th, 2009 at 4:32 pmThe NSA? Peeking into Bill Clinton’s emails?
No one could have predicted!
June 17th, 2009 at 4:54 pmObama is sitting on his ass.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:22 pmIf they keep this up, the NSA will be running the country through nefarious means.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:30 pmThank you..
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