Security Issue Kills Domestic Spying Probe

[cal04]

The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.
The inquiry headed by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax to Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., on Wednesday saying they were closing their inquiry because without clearance their lawyers cannot examine Justice lawyers' role in the program.

"We have been unable to make any meaningful progress in our investigation because OPR has been denied security clearances for access to information about the NSA program," OPR counsel H. Marshall Jarrett wrote to Hinchey. Hinchey's office shared the letter with The Associated Press.

Jarrett wrote that beginning in January 2006, his office has made a series of requests for the necessary clearances. Those requests were denied Tuesday. "Without these clearances, we cannot investigate this matter and therefore have closed our investigation," wrote Jarrett. Hinchey is one of many House Democrats who have been highly critical of the domestic eavesdropping program first revealed in December.

In February, the OPR announced it would examine the conduct of their own agency's lawyers in the program, though they were not authorized to investigate NSA activities. Bush's decision to authorize the largest U.S. spy agency to monitor people inside the United States, without warrants, generated a host of questions about the program's legal justification. The administration has vehemently defended the eavesdropping, saying the NSA's activities were narrowly targeted to intercept international calls and e-mails of Americans and others inside the U.S. with suspected ties to the al-Qaida terror network.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060510/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/domestic_spying

[MadMaddie]

1. More obstruction....move along folks nothing to see here..

[rodeodance]

2. and many in this rubber stamp congress will nod and walk on.

[Rex]

3. Bush is the Decider and so breaking the law is okay if he says it is.

Bush's decision to authorize the largest U.S. spy agency to monitor people inside the United States, without warrants, generated a host of questions about the program's legal justification.

The administration has vehemently defended the eavesdropping, saying the NSA's activities were narrowly targeted to intercept international calls and e-mails of Americans and others inside the U.S. with suspected ties to the al-Qaida terror network.


We live in LaLaLand.

[bigluckyfeet]

4. If This is true

Why are my e-mails being sent to the NSA by AT&T.



"The administration has vehemently defended the eavesdropping, saying the NSA's activities were narrowly targeted to intercept international calls and e-mails of Americans and others inside the U.S. with suspected ties to the al-Qaida terror network."

[Rex]

11. I asked that question a few weeks ago.

It is only a matter of time before the gummit allows AT&T to reemerge and do their bidding in the name of 'national security'. AT&T has been spying on us for 20 years, why would they quit with corporations ruling over us?

On the plus side - I sure do like paying my bill online. :sarcasm:

[Skip Intro]

5. k/r

nt

[The Doctor.]

6. WAITJUSTA GOD-DERNED COTTON PICKIN' MINUTETHERE!!!

No... uhn-uh...

This is a BLATANT conflict of interest, who do we light a fire under to file suit?

[farmbo]

44. Sooo...we can't probe government secrets because of..government secrets.

:grr:

[mom cat]

7. How convenient!

Well, that settled it then, huh.:grr:

[HuffleClaw]

8. a blatant obstruction of justice

and pretty much what we've come to expect from this administration. whatever happened to the right wing mantra of, 'if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about' ?

[acmavm]

9. What a surprise.

:sarcasm:

[struggle4progress]

10. Another BushCo self-investigation. Independent authorities w/ subpoenas

.. might get further ...

[EFerrari]

12. At least when the Grope investigated himself

he used both hands.

[pnwmom]

13. Justice Department Abruptly Ends Domestic Spying Probe

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060510195009990009

"WASHINGTON (May 10) - The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.

The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax to Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., on Wednesday saying they were closing their inquiry because without clearance their lawyers cannot examine Justice lawyers' role in the program.

SNIP

"We have been unable to make any meaningful progress in our investigation because OPR has been denied security clearances for access to information about the NSA program," OPR counsel H. Marshall Jarrett wrote to Hinchey. . . .

Hinchey is one of many House Democrats who have been highly critical of the domestic eavesdropping program first revealed in December. . . .
'This administration thinks they can just violate any law they want, and they've created a culture of fear to try to get away with that. It's up to us to stand up to them,' said Hinchey."

SNIP

[MnFats]

14. sumbitch. not surprising, though. this means that..

..
Gen Hayden must be grilled harder than ever for answers about this vile unconstitutional spying on Americans...

[AndyTiedye]

24. Nope. Senate Dems Are Afraid to Bring It Up. Repubs Would Spin It…

…on TV to make us look weak on security and hurt us in the elections.

Seems to me that by that argument we can't say anything about anything,
because the Repubs/media always twist everything we say.

[Kenergy]

15. This administration has declared that it is no longer

accountable to anyone. I don't know why everyone is afraid to admit what is going on
in this country...it's called FASCISM.
It isn't incompetence, it isn't stupidity, it's FASCISM.

[ShockediSay]

19. repeat: It isn't incompetence, it isn't stupidity, it's FASCISM.

all of the above

[pnwmom]

20. I think a lot of us here are ready to call it that. I am.

[0007]

53. You're absolutely correct. The coup is over we now have a

fascist dictator and the folks just can't get use to it.

The problem now is dethroning the bastard.

[Zynx]

16. Ya don't say...

Why am I not surprised?

[Old and In the Way]

17. Bush has looked deep into the eyes of the enemy....

and it is the American people. I think we all know what they are hiding....it's all about collecting info on their political enemies.

[izzie]

18. I am sure you are right and this

You see this odd group in the WH has got rid of Goss. I can not get over the thought of thinking that they are starting to eat their own. I really do not know how to put it but it seems to always turn to this type stuff. It is like when one church gets all the power in a country it starts eating away at the edge of its own church people to make the church more pure so to speak. Governments that do a take over seem to do the same thing. We seem to be seeing it all over the Middle East right now also. It is like holding on to something you believe in, right or wrong, with almost a death like belief, even if you kill off half the people who put you their in the first place. Course it has taken many countries down or groups over the edge. Just a thought.

[pnwmom]

22. Let's hope you're right and the whole administration is about to spin

out of control.

[izzie]

26. Well if you look at our history I think we have been here before.

I really do not want to read American history right now but if we have some one who is really into it on this site I bet they could put us into the right place on it. I really think I can recall it going on when we get this type leadership in groups and government just in what I recall. I once did a paper on Cromwell and it happened there. It is I think a common type thing.

[azurnoir]

21. Not to be paraniod

but doesn't seem like *co is putting a lot of work in to something that supposed to end in approx, 18 months?

[pnwmom]

23. Just today they floated the trial balloon of a Jeb presidency.

Not to be too paranoid or anything. Then, when he's done, there will be one of the nephews. . .

[AndyTiedye]

25. They're Not Leaving

[BikeWriter]

27. The Schutzstaffel cannot be investigated.

[Robbien]

28. Security issue kills domestic spying inquiry(DOJ Is Denied Clearances)

NSA won’t grant Justice Department lawyers required security clearance

WASHINGTON - The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.

The inquiry headed by the Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax to Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., on Wednesday saying they were closing their inquiry because without clearance their lawyers cannot examine Justice lawyers’ role in the program.

“We have been unable to make any meaningful progress in our investigation because OPR has been denied security clearances for access to information about the NSA program,” OPR counsel H. Marshall Jarrett wrote to Hinchey. Hinchey’s office shared the letter with The Associated Press.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12727867/from/RSS/

[Kutjara]

29. Rearrange the following to form a complete sentence:

complete a shit what of crock.

[lovuian]

30. Bush denied wiretapping ordinary Americans and now

he has been found lying...

[Robbien]

31. No wonder clearance wasn't allowed if they have this huge

database of American telephone calls, there is no where to hide it if the DOJ came calling.

[dweller]

32. but USAToday has knowledge of wiretaps/database?

down IS up.

dp

[IndianaGreen]

33. This is nothing more than stonewalling

The NSA is breaking the law, they know it, and they don't want anyone to call them on it, so they use the subterfuge of security clearances to derail a bona fide investigation.

And they have the audacity of calling themselves patriots when they are nothing more than common criminals!

[Robbien]

36. Stonewalling implies one can get past the blockage.

The DOJ has no recourse and has dropped the investigation.

People above the law: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and now the NSA.

[CornField]

34. Look at the last paragraph

The administration has vehemently defended the eavesdropping, saying the NSA’s activities were narrowly targeted to intercept international calls and e-mails of Americans and others inside the U.S. with suspected ties to the al-Qaida terrorist network.

Now, go read the breaking news from USAToday. They lied and there is absolutely no skirting it.

[lovuian]

35. Bingo

thats the story!!!

[MsMagnificent]

47. Link to the USA Today story pls?

I've never gone there -- anything I've read in the past appeared to be pure pablum... are they turning around & getting their journalistic act together?

[CornField]

49. LBN link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2276110&mesg_id=2276110

[MsMagnificent]

50. Thank you!

:hi:

[noel adamson]

37. Consider the possibility that they will just declare a dictatorship...

...and drop the burdensome pretense of democracy. They have all but done that already, they are acting like there will not be another election and who's to stop them???

[InkAddict]

38. I'm so disgusted with this filthy group of liars...

What's the problemo - Iranian partner of small little piss ant company that probably shouldn't have, but did, win big US Gov financial project that required clearances gets to walk around their work sites sans clearance...then go visit relatives in the ME for weddings and other little business(?) trips...oops, I think I may have typed that perhaps too vaguely. What gives with this incompetent bunch of freaks!

[MsMagnificent]

39. This somehow reminds me of

Nixon's firing of Archibald Cox

--and you know where that led to...

If the Senators and Congresspeople do not do anything to reverse this they ALL deserve not only to be out of a job but also to be prosecuted for violating their oaths, not to mention betraying the People -- their constituents and their employers.

[annabanana]

40. sigh. . if we only had a body of lawmakers, you know...

a group of people elected to do the people's work.

(nom)

[annabanana]

41. (rate this MSNBC story up). . . . . . n/t

[Speaker]

42. Only the Gestapo...

is qualified to investigate the Gestapo.

So transparent.

[wicket]

43. kick

:kick:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

45. Didn't Hayden tell Congessional leaders that he would cooperate....

...on matters concerning domestic spying?

Is this what he meant by "cooperationn"?

[Rose Siding]

46. Ha! It's been subject to "extensive oversight" WITHIN the exec branch???

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the terrorist surveillance program "has been subject to extensive oversight both in the executive branch and in Congress from the time of its inception."

Self-examination. How reassuring (we KNOW their lying about congres. oversight- ask any dem)

[newspeak]

48. what I want to know

is how long the majority of the American people going to put up with this shite? We've had Cheney's "secret" energy meetings, the 9/11 bogus commission where Cheney and Bush, both, did not have to testify under oath--as a matter fact, it seems these miscreants never have to testify under oath. So, if they lie, they can say they didn't do it under oath, so no foul. Pre-emptive war based on absolute falsehoods and the outing of not only Plame, but a network overseeing WMDs. Then, there's the sweet deal contracts to war profiteers like Halliburton, who have fed our soldiers sub-standard food and tainted water while their stocks have skyrocketed. There's the complicity of MSM who "catapult" the BS; and the inauditable voting machines that we, the taxpayers, have paid for. No fly lists that include some Democrats, Green Party Members, nuns and priests, Quaker members and other pro-peace groups. Domestic spying is the tip of the quickly melting iceberg. When is it enough?

[barbtries]

51. that first sentence,

"The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter."

catch 22. gets ya every time. i can't believe our country is lunatic, but then i guess the lunacy has gone on before. before i was born, before i could talk, before i gave a good goddam...but i am 50 years old now, and i swear i never thought i'd be living to see the dismantling of my country by the white house.

sad.

[Supersedeas]

52. not delayed for clearance -- abruptly ENDED -- but Tony Snow is cleared