Jailed Qwest CEO claimed that NSA retaliated because he wouldn’t participate in spy program

The Daily Caller ^ | June 13, 2013 | Greg Campbell

[2ndDivisionVet]

While National Security Agency’s harvesting of telephone data is often defended as a necessary component of post-9/11 national security, old court documents claim the spy agency was putting such a program into place months before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

In court papers filed during his 2007 insider trading trial, former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio claimed that Denver-based Qwest was denied lucrative NSA contracts he believed to be worth $50-$100 million, after Nacchio refused to involve Qwest in a secret NSA program that he thought would be illegal.

Subsequent reporting at the time revealed that it was a domestic wiretapping program in which the NSA wanted to snoop on Qwest’s vast telephone network without court orders....

[Travis McGee]

I think some version of this is where we are heading.
Hitler and Stalin never had such powerful tools at their disposal for targeting their enemies.

“What I saw at the coup.”

http://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/what-i-saw-at-the-coup/

[piroque]

BTTT,, Very interesting date,,,, NSA caught lying again

[dljordan]

I love that story, it warms my heart.

[Bryan24]

I have been one to always give a LARGE benefit of the doubt to the Intelligence Agencies. The defense of our country in the technology age is extremely difficult.

But, at this point, I am lumping the CIA and NSA in with the IRS.

They have gone rogue. They are lying to the Congress and lying to the American people. They are NOT a law unto themselves. It is time to yank the chains get them back under control.

[Hardraade]

Feb. 2001.

Sounds like the Clinton farewell-vandalism in the White House, just a little more insidous than trashed keyboards.

[RummyChick]

what would have happened to Yahoo if they didn’t capitulate to the warrentless searches...

it should be illegal to strong arm a company like that

[EBH]

They have gone rogue. They are lying to the Congress and lying to the American people. They are NOT a law unto themselves. It is time to yank the chains get them back under control.

The sooner more people come to terms with that ...the sooner we can begin to take real steps to restoring our Republic. When considering agencies that are ROGUE I include Homeland Security in this group as well as the Health and Human Services.

Essentially under 0bama the entire government machines is off the reservation.

[Travis McGee]

I gave it a happy ending as a warning to the anti-freedom side.
They won’t listen, and the story might not have a happy ending.

[Black Agnes]

This makes me wonder about MCI and Bernie Ebbers. All that came down in ‘02. Bernie is a Christian and outspoken about it. He gave loads of money to missions and ministries.

[tbw2]

If this is true, then PRISM does go back multiple years, and the conspiracy is far bigger than we feared.
And, unfortunately, the “blame Bush” people aren’t wrong.

[PghBaldy]

Bush WAS President in late Feb of 2001.

[redgolum]

For later.

Quite a few conservatives are still defending the domestic spying program.

[Mouton]

No one has been listening to these warning signs and no one is going to do much about it, that is the bottom line. We have institutionalized another nation state within the framework of our constitution, i.e. the nation of individual bureaucracies: they each pretty much function as entities to themselves free of the bounds of the constitution. NSA is one of them for sure. CIA? State? Those are in the Executive branch. Some politicians have become their own nation states too i.e. the Black Caucus, the Hispanic Cacus, the women's caucus in the house. We have balkanized the legislature into petty fiefdoms beyond the overriding constitutional framework. What is it the Lincoln cabol loves to quote: a nation divided cannot stand attributed to Abe. Well, we have met the enemy and it is us.

[plain talk]

This happened during 2001-2008, right? Dems will say Bush did it

[EBH]

it should be illegal to strong arm a company like that

Back in 2009(?) they got away with it with the banks.

Inside Obama's bank CEOs meeting

If memory serves me well... USBancorp CEO didn't go along with the plans and dissed the President later in a revealing speech about the tactics being used.

[gaijin]

MONTHS before 9-11 they STARTED putting in the system..?

That is a TOTAL LIE.

[Travis McGee]

Yep. It’s going to take a mighty big reset to sweep this creeping tyranny away.

[Black Agnes]

At this point I wouldn’t be so fast to doubt that.

[Gaffer]

I’m afraid the problem is a bit more pervasive than just say the CIA, NSA etc.

The intelligence community has 16 intelligence centers. You can google who they are but the include the usual, plus some others that really are dedicated to our defense.

They ALL come under the leadership of the Director of National Intelligence who runs the ODNI, Office of Director of National Intelligence. THE problem is there and it is with Obama’s choice for leadership there and in many, if not all, of the ICs.

[Here’s a pop quiz for all the intelligentsia out there - no googling - what US intel agency is the oldest?]