Report: Bush program extended beyond wiretapping

Associated Press (Obama) ^ | July 10, 2009 | PAMELA HESS

[presidio9]

The Bush administration authorized secret surveillance activities that still have not been made public, according to a new government report that questions the legal basis for the unprecedented anti-terrorism program.

It's unclear how much valuable intelligence was yielded by the surveillance program started after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to the unclassified summary of reports by five inspectors general. The reports mandated by Congress last year were delivered to lawmakers Friday.

President George W. Bush authorized other secret intelligence activities — which have yet to become public — even as he was launching the massive warrentless wiretapping program, the summary said. It describes the entire program as the "President's Surveillance Program."

The report describes the program as unprecedented and raises questions about the legal grounding used for its creation. It also says the intelligence agencies' continued retention and use of the information collected under the program should be carefully monitored.

Many senior intelligence officials believe the program filled a gap in intelligence. Others, including FBI, CIA and National Counterterrorism Center analysts, said intelligence gathered by traditional means was often more specific and timely, according to the report.

The Bush White House acknowledged in 2005 that it allowed the National Security Agency to intercept international communications that passed through U.S. cables without court orders.

The inspectors general interviewed more than 200 government officials and private sector personnel, including former CIA and NSA Director Michael Hayden, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Five former Bush administration officials refused to be interviewed, including former CIA Director George Tenet and former Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The others: former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card; former top Cheney aide David Addington; and John Yoo,

[Krankor]

Obama is tanking in the polls, the stimulus is failing and they just caught him on camera leering at a 17 year old girl. Time for AP to do a little Bush bashing.

[Signalman]

The difference is that under Bush, these surveillance programs were meant to PROTECT the American people from terrorists whose goal was to to cause death and destruction Under Obama, the surveillance programs will be used AGAINST the American people in order to suppress those who protest against his administration.

[presidio9]

“SIXTEEN year-old” girl is the way it was reported on Hannity’s radio show.

[plangent]

Ahhhh! The five Inspectors General.

That explains Gerald Walpin. Send a warning shot across the bow of IG’s and then a consensus, almost like global warming, of a secret surveillance program.

I really wonder what IG revelations are yet to come.

[originalbuckeye]

Somehow I doubt that the importance of the information gleaned from the surveillance is unclear. Zero’s Admin and his willing accomplices in Big Media would NEVER give any credit of any kind to GWB. Disgusting.

[mojito]

Obama is tanking in the polls, the stimulus is failing and they just caught him on camera leering at a 17 year old girl. Time for AP to do a little Bush bashing.

Bingo.

[I see my hands]

How many guns do you have and where do you keep them. The ACORN census wants to know.

[mojito]

Does anyone really doubt that this story was “suggested” to the AP by the White House?

[Jet Jaguar]

Congress is mad that they got recorded talking to overseas “operators”.

[Krankor]

I read she just turned 17. But 16 or 17, how many times did ABC or any network “debunk” a slur about Bush.

[mysterio]

The NSA has been spying on emails and phone conversations since Clinton. In my years as a lurker here in the late 90s, I read some good threads about it. I didn’t support it under Clinton, I didn’t support it under Bush, and I don’t support it now.

[mulligan]

Just another ploy to keep us focused on the wrong items. Usually called a ‘smoke screen’.And Obama is blowing lots of smoke these days.

[Islam=Murder]

Hey, I’ve got a great idea.

To distract voters from the fact that OMOSLEM IS BANKRUPTING THE UNITED STATES, let’s hold show trials of CIA officials, and splash top-secret programs across the front page of newspapers.

While Omoslem funds Hamas with another $900 million donation of OUR MONEY.

[DoughtyOne]

Obama, Al Gore, and their buds are selling this nation out as fast as they can...

...and now we're supposed to investigate Bush.  LMAO  This guy sure has a little teeny set of 'em doesn't he.


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[Niteranger68]

Our domestic terrorists have deployed Operation Obama Political Life Raft.

[marron]

So the Democrats getting ready to expose more classified material in the New York Times, and then wonder why they aren’t trusted with classified material.

[presidio9]

Just watched the video. Looked like the “Back, and to the left, back and to the left” skit from Seinfeld. I still think he was leering a minor’s ass.

Did you get your screen name from my favority episode of MST3K?

[taillightchaser]

The ultra-liberal media in our country is going to be totally at fault when our country crashes. They continue to bash President Bush while the current occupant of the White House is turning our nation into a commie state.
If the media was doing an impartial job, Zero would never have been elected.
If zero was a republican doing what he’s doing, the media would have driven him out of office by now.