US rejects wiretapping challenge

Source: BBC

Page last updated at 11:59 GMT, Friday, 21 August 2009 12:59 UK

A US judge has rejected a challenge to a law that allows intelligence services to eavesdrop on overseas conversations to gather intelligence.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the US to monitor the calls and emails of non-US citizens abroad.

Human rights groups contended that their workers might be bugged for talking to people under surveillance.

But District Judge John Koeltl in New York said the mere fear of surveillance was not enough to bring a lawsuit.

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The judge said the organisations had not claimed that their communications had been monitored, or that the government had sought permission for such surveillance.

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The law was challenged by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, a group of international criminal defence lawyers and an organisation of women.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8213908.stm

Just like we are now prosecuting the Swiss for obeying Swiss Law. That's a Rx for anarchy.