BTW, who is spying on us Americans??? are there tens of thousands of peeps

[opihimoimoi]

out there listening to us? Is Bush trying to boost the employment numbers? Who pays for the Listeners? This Bush ain't no bush...more like a noxious weed.

[papau]

1. Computers do the initial sweep and translations and transcripts

Military types handle the output in Toronto.

If approved by superior, FISA warrant is obtained (a step they are skipping) - and the speaker is identified and full scale eavesdropping begins.

[BR_Parkway]

4. Toronto? We've outsourced illegal spying on Americans now?

Jeeze, I don't know what else to say. That is so wrong in so many ways.

[papau]

5. US military folks do the work- but a few years ago - when I last knew - it

was indeed Toronto.

The US military could do the paper handling anywhere, so I guess out of country makes electronic phrase eavesdropping more legal than doing it in country.

[Missy M]

2. Is there a means to find out if you were being wiretapped?

[dusmcj]

3. TIPS was replaced by multiple programs

The TIPS program, which would have had utility workers and others with ubiquitous access to citizens' private lives report anything "suspicious" they might have seen to a Federal clearinghouse, was shouted down by violent objections about the violation of inherent civil rights it constituted. The administration apparently turned around and spawned multiple identical programs without publicity; apparently the core intent of having those entities from the private sector with privileged access to citizens' private business report information was retained and implemented.