Telecoms let NSA spy on calls

[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley and John Diamond]
The National Security Agency has secured the cooperation of large telecommunications companies, including AT&T, MCI and Sprint, in its efforts to eavesdrop without warrants on international calls by suspected terrorists, according to seven telecommunications executives. The New York Times, which disclosed the clandestine operation in December, previously reported that telecommunications companies have been cooperating with the government, but it did not name the companies involved.
Decisions about monitoring calls are made in four steps, according to two U.S. intelligence officials familiar with the program who insisted on anonymity because it remains classified: 1) Information from U.S. or allied intelligence or law enforcement points to a terrorism-related target either based in the United States or communicating with someone in the United States. 2) Using a 48-point checklist to identify possible links to al-Qaeda, one of three NSA officials authorized to approve a warrantless intercept decides whether the surveillance is justified. The checklist focuses on ensuring that there is a “reasonable basis” for believing there is a terrorist link involved. 3) Technicians work with phone company officials to intercept communications pegged to a particular person or phone number. Telecommunications executives say MCI, AT&T and Sprint grant the access to their systems without warrants or court orders. Instead, they are cooperating on the basis of oral requests from senior government officials. 4) If the surveillance yields information about a terrorist plot, the NSA notifies the FBI or other appropriate agencies but does not always disclose the source of its information. Call-routing information provided by the phone companies can help intelligence officials eavesdrop on a conversation. It also helps them physically locate the parties, which is important if cellphones are being used. If the U.S. end of a communication has nothing to do with terrorism, the identity of the party is suppressed and the content of the communication destroyed.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060206/1a_lede06.art.htm

* Attorney General Will Blame Media for 'Wrong' Spy Program Reports
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...

* White House spying defense rests on shaky legal ground
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060206/edit06.art.htm