Obama Administration Seeks To Block Wiretap Suit

The Justice Department invoked the state secrets privilege Friday to try to stop a lawsuit over Bush-era wiretapping ­ the first time the Obama administration has done so under its new policy on such cases. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the decision in a California lawsuit challenging the warrantless wiretapping program begun after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Under the state secrets privilege, the government can have a lawsuit dismissed if hearing the case would jeopardize national security. AG Holder said that in the current case, that review process had convinced him "there is no way for this case to move forward without jeopardizing ongoing intelligence activities that we rely upon to protect the safety of the American people."