Reagan order ‘primary source’ for NSA spying

An executive order signed in 1981 by then-President Ronald Reagan is the “primary source” of authority for the National Security Agency’s foreign spying, according to newly released internal documents.

Papers obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit detail the central role that the order plays in authorizing the NSA’s current operations. The “majority” of the spy agency’s intelligence collection is performed “solely pursuant” to the order signed by Reagan and then amended by former President George W. Bush. The order, known as Executive Order 12333, allows the NSA to collect Internet communications about foreigners, including their email messages and online chats.