Spy Court Won't Release US Wiretap Docs

AP via SFGate ^ | 12/11/7 | MATT APUZZO, Associated Press Writer

[SmithL]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's spy court said Tuesday that it will not make public its documents regarding the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, in a rare public opinion, said the public has no right to view the documents because they deal with the clandestine workings of national security agencies.

The American Civil Liberties Union asked the court to release the records in August. Specifically, the organization asked for the government's legal briefs and the court's opinions on the wiretapping program.

Writing for the court, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates refused. Releasing the documents would reveal closely guarded secrets that enemies could used to evade detection or disrupt intelligence activities, he said. Sources could be outed, targets could be tipped off and diplomatic relations could be damaged.

"All these possible harms are real and significant and, quite frankly, beyond debate," Bates wrote.

One of the key documents being sought were court orders that allowed the Bush administration to bring the wiretapping program under the court's purview in January. Previously, the so-called Terrorist Surveillance Program allowed investigators to monitor international phone calls and e-mails to or from the U.S. without court oversight.

The White House said in January that it no longer needed the program because the spy court had established standards that satisfied the administration. The ACLU said it wanted to know what those standards are, how they were set up and how they were justified.

[SmithL]

Bates, John D.

Born 1946 in Elizabeth, NJ

Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Nominated by George W. Bush on September 4, 2001, to a seat vacated by Stanley S. Harris; Confirmed by the Senate on December 11, 2001, and received commission on December 14, 2001.

Education:
Wesleyan University, B.A., 1968

University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1976

Professional Career:
First lieutenant, U.S. Army, 1968-1971
Law clerk, Hon. Roszel C. Thomsen, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
Private practice, Washington, DC, 1977-1980
Assistant U.S. attorney, Office of the U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia, 1980-1987
Chief, Civil Division, Office of the U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia, 1987-1997
Deputy independent counsel, Office of the Independent Counsel, 1995-1997
Private practice, 1998-2001

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Male

[BillyBonebrake]

Judge Bates can count himself among those special individuals that got out of Wesleyan with his brain intact.

[RC2]

The ACLU would have our country turn over all of the secrets it can get its hands on. I would just smile at them and say “Yeah, right!” Then walk away.

[Dilbert56]

FU, ACLU

[plain talk]

All these possible harms are real and significant and, quite frankly, beyond debate," Bates wrote

This is kind of language the rest of the Bush admin should have been using all along.

[UCANSEE2]

The ACLU and likely, the Dem Politicians, want this documentation ‘revealed’ (of course, to them first), so they can see what President Bush’s ‘spying’ has managed to reveal about ‘them’.

[OldArmy52]

For decades, the Libs/Dems have consistently shown themselves to be on the side of our enemies.

But nothing is ever done about it.

Small wonder the WOT and such are hard to accomplish.