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Let Me Ask This One Question About The The Telecom's Complicity With The NSA

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ThomWV Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:50 AM
Original message
Let Me Ask This One Question About The The Telecom's Complicity With The NSA
Were the phone companies paid to let the NSA splice into their lines? Were they paid or did they do it voluntarily? It seems to me to make a great deal of difference. Let me put it like this, did they profit from being part of the spying apparatus or did they do it out of a corporate sense of patriotism?

My bet? There was money involved.
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bunkerbuster1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:51 AM
Response to Original message
1. I'm curious too, since Sam Seder claimed yesterday that they WERE paid.
I was unable to find anything with a short news / website search, though.
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maddezmom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:52 AM
Response to Original message
2. and where were those papers held that Wyden wants everyone to read?
Monday afternoon, Wyden -- one of the 10 votes against fast-tracking the bill, and one of only two votes against it in the intelligence committee -- spoke in support of Dodd's effort. He pointed out that the documents supporting the administration's position, including correspondence between the government and the telephone companies, was not even available to most senators, except the members of the intelligence committee and the leadership.

"Having read these documents, I can say, as one member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, that nothing in any of these opinions has convinced me that the administration's warrantless wiretapping program was legal," said Wyden.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/david_sarasohn/index.ssf?/base/editorial/119802940271690.xml&coll=7
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Echo In Light Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:52 AM
Response to Original message
3. I'm sure the Patriot Poison Jive may have played a role in the impetus to take $
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mmonk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:53 AM
Response to Original message
4. It shouldn't matter. They engaged in a crime against the citizens.
Nuremberg should hold sway as an example.
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atreides1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:53 AM
Response to Original message
5. It wasn't Patriotism!!!!!
I have heard that both AT&T and Verizon received lucrative federal contracts, where Qwest didn't. Qwest of course refused to go along with the pack and didn't participate in the illegal wiretapping scheme.
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PleaseSayItAintSo Donating Member (131 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:56 AM
Response to Reply #5
9. Qwest
I've been wondering about this ... if we're going to REWARD AT&T, Verizon and Sprint for their clearly illegal actions, shouldn't Qwest be heavily fined for NOT participating?
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kansasblue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:54 AM
Response to Original message
6. I thought I read something about them being paid...
like me check.

Good point ThomWV
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:54 AM
Response to Original message
7. Oh, what a VERY good question.
I feel so stupid that it never even occurred to me. And WHICH budget did it come from?

And if the Fed just came in and took...was the cost passed on to us? Under which fee?
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kansasblue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:55 AM
Response to Original message
8. "The sources said the NSA made clear that it was willing to pay for the cooperation."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA
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kansasblue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:56 AM
Response to Reply #8
10. "it has been noted that they were paid for their cooperation"
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/may2006/140506Phone.htm
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kansasblue Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 10:58 AM
Response to Reply #10
11. "all four companies were paid"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_call_database
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bunkerbuster1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 11:04 AM
Response to Reply #8
12. Thank you.
Obviously, there's a lot of dirty laundry yet to be aired, but that's a reputable source I needed.
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L. Coyote Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 11:05 AM
Response to Original message
13. BIG BUCKS contracts were awarded to co-conspirators, Others PUNISHED??
It is far worse than your question frames the issue. Political prosecution apparently followed on refusing to collaborate with the illegal activity, and immense government contracts hung in the balance.

Did the CEO who said "NO" go to jail, another political prisoner?

Nacchio and Qwest: Another Political Prosecution?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2051298

And, given the stock values of these corporations and liability to consumers,
billions in wealth hung in the balance when these decisions were made.
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Didereaux Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 11:08 AM
Response to Original message
14. No $$$ needed, just the threat of FCC. c'mon folks get a clue!
For christ sakes, this is how 90% of stuff gets done or prevented by those in power...the carrot/stick of the bureacracy is FAR and AWAY the most used and abused power in government.
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RufusEarl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 11:20 AM
Response to Original message
15. The one thing that always seems to be over looked in this matter,
was the fact that all this spying on americans started before 9-11. And yes the telecoms were compensated, for their illegal activity.

Peace!
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leveymg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 11:22 AM
Response to Original message
16. Qwest passed up a $200 million contract to build the data center that went to other telcos
Also, NSA Project Groundbreaker (privatization of agency IT backbone) is worth at least $5 billion, and then there's more billions in follow-on contracts for companies developing surveillance software.

Of course they're getting paid. This is a capitalist country, isn't it? Or, is it?
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kentuck Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Dec-19-07 11:24 AM
Response to Original message
17. We will probably never know...
It is an important question.
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