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Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Confirmed

by TChris

Another source has confirmed yesterday's news that the FBI is snooping into the telephone records of journalists at ABC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post to determine who in the government may have leaked classified information to news outlets.

A former counterterrorism chief at the CIA, Vincent Cannistraro, told The New York Sun yesterday that FBI sources have confirmed to him that reporters' calls are being tracked as part of the probe. "The FBI is monitoring calls of a number of news organizations as part of this leak investigation," Mr. Cannistraro, who has worked as a consultant for ABC, said "It is going on. It is widespread and it may entail more than those three media outlets."

CBS reports that "this leak investigation" probably refers to the FBI investigation "of leaks of information about secret CIA prisons."

The executive director of the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press, Lucy Dalglish, said the government's reported acquisition of journalists' calling records was part of a pattern of intrusions on First Amendment rights by the Bush administration. "I'm ready to throw my arms up in the air," she said. "If there was a subpoena, they are supposed to be notified."

When a subpoena is used to obtain a journalist's telephone records, a Justice Department policy requires disclosure of that seizure to the journalist within 90 days. It isn't clear whether the Justice Department relied on subpoenas or whether it followed that policy.

One ambiguity the Justice Department may be exploiting is that the regulations, adopted in 1980, refer to trial and grand jury subpoenas. ABC suggested yesterday that its records may have been obtained without going through the courts, but instead by using authority for so-called national security letters contained in an anti-terrorism law passed in 2001, the Patriot Act.

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    This article on national security letters was interesting. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/05/AR2005110501366_pf.html

    Lort! WHERE is the will to STOP these fiends!?!

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:35:28 PM EST
    Well, golly Agent99. You upset that someone is looking over the shoulder of those who will publish anything, even if it harms the country. Pay backs are hell.

    PPJ:
    You upset that someone is looking over the shoulder of those who will publish anything, even if it harms the country.
    Maybe you would prefer to repeal the First Amendment?

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#5)
    by Punchy on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:54:55 PM EST
    Maybe a dumb question, but: why is the FBI investigating the CIA? Why wouldn't the CIA investigate itself? Does the CIA investigate the FBI when necessary? Does the FBI look into the NSA, too? Confused....

    JimakaPPJ: Definitely re/read the constitution. Oh, definitely, please do that right away.

    Agent99, maybe we overlooked the footnote limiting its protections to those whose views are right.

    "Agent99, maybe we overlooked the footnote limiting its protections to those whose views are riGHT." or a thread hijacking pathological liar.

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#9)
    by squeaky on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:13:16 PM EST
    Hey, it is in the constitution that everyone is entitled to their own personal version of the constitution. Kinda like a personal relationship to Jesus. BTW-PPJ has the redacted version.

    Golly, Cymro, I guess we better check! It seems that poor document has been getting some darn merciless edits recently, and we do want to stay current! Seriously, though, this is an outrage on so many fronts that I'm reeling. I'm just positive this is not the country in which I was raised, yet, uh, I don't remember leaving it...?

    I have an idea. Since we know that the Leader (uh, President as some call him) knows best, lets make a list of all those who are critiquing the administration and insulting the Leader. Then, lets monitor all their phone calls (at least, to whom and from whom, since there is no warrant or subpoena), all their email and internet browsing for anything suspicious. If they have contacts with people leaking things, we'll get them and perhaps their job or stories will dry up. If they visit any adult sites, perhaps they are buying obscenity. Or, perhaps they have clicked on links leading to the very bad evil of nudes of minors or "child pornography." So, in a few months, there should be a lot fewer such people who have the temerity to insult the Leader.

    zaitzeff, ... And if they've been on the Internet, it's pretty clear they are up to no good there, mingling with people who engage in subversive activities like chat, instant messaging, and reading leftist blogs. The safest and wisest thing to do would be to take proactive action to ban our enemies, before they can undermine our democratic freedom as elected leaders to turn our country into a safe place for people who think pure and right thoughts. But, wait! History tells us ... History? What's that?

    Journalists, whistleblowers, patriots: Please use the disposable cell phones you can buy at the supermarket, take cabs, public transportation or borrow a car from someone not related to you, when you need to speak with each other. Our country is going down in flames and you can't let the arsonists win.

    You upset that someone is looking over the shoulder of those who will publish anything, even if it harms the country.
    What country would that be? Dubyaland? Turdblossomville? PPJstan? Never particularly wanted to visit.
    Pay backs are hell.
    I think we're seeing that in effect. The White House may not be hell, but it's getting uncomfortably warm in there, I suspect.

    Webmacher: The White House may not be hell, but it's getting uncomfortably warm in there, I suspect. Oh! Maybe that's what PPJ meant by his remark that "pay backs are hell"? Was this in fact a cautiously worded sign of a recent change of heart on his part -- one that we all overlooked? Tell us it's true PPJ. Like the prodigal son, you'll be forgiven and feted.

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#17)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed May 17, 2006 at 06:13:44 AM EST
    et al - If you publish classified information, don't be surprised when the FBI shows up. Can't stand the heat? Then get out of the kitchen. BTW - I assume that all of you are now donating to Libby's defense fund and pulling for Rove to NOT be indicted.

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#18)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed May 17, 2006 at 06:18:04 AM EST
    Agent99 - For a disposable cell phone to work, it must first be activated.. Better not use a credit card.. Cash? Well, they are probably monitoring all companies who activate, and then monitor new phones for several months...

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#19)
    by Edger on Wed May 17, 2006 at 06:33:29 AM EST
    Agent99? You're supposed to be ruled by fear. What part of that don't you git? ;-)

    Re: Seizure of Journalists' Telephone Records Conf (none / 0) (#21)
    by Edger on Wed May 17, 2006 at 06:52:49 AM EST
    Cymro - Good one last night. In your case I don't think it matters whether you're a journalist or not. They've got your number now... :-)