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NSA Abused Wiretap Rights: Intercepted, Shared Private Calls of Americans

Mike Masnick

Now that Congress has totally capitulated and allowed the administration’s warrantless wiretapping program to go on without question, it should surprise no one that leaks are coming out highlighting how the program is regularly abused to spy on everyday Americans who are calling North America from the Middle East. In fact, two separate “intercept operators” have apparently come forward separately, and talked about listening in on perfectly innocent calls between two Americans–exactly the scenario that the government insisted never happened. Specifically, General Hayden stated that conversations between Americans were not being intercepted: “It’s not for the heck of it. We are narrowly focused and drilled on protecting the nation against al Qaeda and those organizations who are affiliated with it.”

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