Justice Department Moving to Immunize Snooping Telcos

Source: Wired

Two months ago, President Bush won congressional approval to immunize the nation's telecommunications companies from lawsuits accusing them of helping Bush funnel Americans' electronic communications to the National Security Agency without warrants -- all in the name of national security following the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

But the telecoms, facing 36 lawsuits commingled as one in a San Francisco federal court, still haven't been granted immunity in the lawsuits alleging they breached their customers' Fourth Amendment right to privacy. On Friday, however, Justice Department special counsel Anthony Coppolino said the government would comply with the immunity bill's procedural hurdles by Sept. 19 to seek blanket immunity on behalf of the companies.

... In response to Coppolino's remarks, Walker set a Dec. 2 hearing, in which he would allow the Electronic Frontier Foundation to challenge the immunity legislation Congress passed July 9 in a bid to keep the lawsuits alive.

... Among other things -- if the legislation stands -- the telecoms are off the hook if the Justice Department can prove, in sealed documents to the court, that the telecoms' assistance was, among other things, the result of a court order; or authorized under the Protect America Act of 2007 or was approved by the president and designed "to detect or prevent a terrorist attack, or in activities in preparation for a terrorist attack, against the United States, and the subject of a written request or directive."

Read more: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/justice-departm.html

I say we immunize the telcos if they provide us with the name of the person who ordered them to commence spying on their customers. It's going to be one of four people--George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, John Ashcroft or Alberto Gonzalez--and I would MUCH rather throw those people in jail for a pattern of illegal espionage activity beginning January 21, 2001, and continuing until the present day, than I would care to go after a telephone company.

I think if you did something to displease Little Hitler and his minions, they would do something terrible to you. What that might be I don't know--it could be anything from cessation of federal business through tax audits up to major crimes of violence--but Bush does not play. When he asks you to do something, you do it now.

K&R

and if no civil suits are allowed,
then just what constitution are we following, and what constitution are the leaders following?

:grr: