Guessing which member of Congress was targeted by the NSA

[ProSense]

Just as Progressives Predicted, Massive Abuse Results From Gutting FISA

By Spencer Ackerman

Pulled from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: It turns out that carving out the institutional safeguards built into the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, as the Democratic-led Congress cravenly acquiesced to in 2007 under pressure from the Bush administration, results in massive abuse in domestic surveillance collection. From The New York Times:

The National Security Agency intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months on a scale that went beyond the broad legal limits established by Congress last year, government officials said in recent interviews.

Read the whole thing. Particularly this:

And in one previously undisclosed episode, the N.S.A. tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant, an intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The agency believed that the congressman, whose identity could not be determined, was in contact — as part of a Congressional delegation to the Middle East in 2005 or 2006 — with an extremist who had possible terrorist ties and was already under surveillance, the official said. The agency then sought to eavesdrop on the congressman’s conversations, the official said.

The official said the plan was ultimately blocked because of concerns from some intelligence officials about using the N.S.A., without court oversight, to spy on a member of Congress.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) visited the Palestinian territories during that time. Daphne, please weigh in.

[vadawg]

1. I got no problems with wire tapping members of congress, just think of the graft we could stop

imagine if every piece of paper and contact by them was open to us, also if the congress critter was in contact to someone of interest even if unknowingly then hell yes we shuold at least wiretap for the congress critters protection, god knows what could be the topic of conversation and how it could be twisted.

[beachmom]

2. What a stupid post. A Republican Administration spying on a Democratic member of Congress is

a good thing?

[MajPayne2]

5. Sounds like Watergate type shit to me n/t

[mkultra]

4. i must assume your just venting

If not, then you need to rent a cabin in the woods and really think through what your saying.

[karynnj]

16. Wel, I doubt you observe all laws 100% - so woud you like every call you make

tapped? It is unwarranted to wiretap someone with absolutely no evidence of a crime. They have the same right to privacy you do.

[frazzled]

3. There were many Congressional delegations to the ME in 2005-2006

Also, it says congressman, not senator, which may not be dispositive in limiting it to a member of the House as opposed to the Senate, but the words seem chosen carefully.

There were, upon cursory google, a number of delegations to the ME between 2005 and 2006

December 21, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Third District Congressman Jon Porter will be spending part of his holiday season visiting with heroes when he leads a congressional delegation to meet with American troops in the Middle East and Europe. The delegation will depart from Washington on December 26 and return shortly after New Year's Day, making stops in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Pakistan and Germany. <...>Joining Porter on the trip will be Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA), Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), Rep. Dave Weldon (R-FL), Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) and Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO).

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/4387

Key Findings
of
Congressional Delegation to the Middle East
July 21 – 25, 2006
Including Representatives Hoekstra, Harman, Renzi and Issa

http://intelligence.house.gov/Media/PDFS/CodelHoekstra21July06.pdf

and most notably:

WASHINGTON, March 25 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on the Congressional Delegation she led to the Middle East to assess the war in Iraq, the region's prospects for peace, and economic and political reform. Pelosi was joined by Representatives Darrel Issa (R- Calif.), George Miller (D-Calif.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), James McGovern (D- Mass.), and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.). The Members traveled to Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt from March 18 to March 25, returning to the United States today. Pelosi's statement follows:

[ProSense]

6. Congressman can be generic. They are all members of Congress.

Still, we don't know who the NSA targeted, but this is not the first time Kerry's name has come up when these rumors were circulated in the past.

[beachmom]

7. Spencer Ackermann has a follow up post coming up with 27 possible names:

http://washingtonindependent.com/39013/so-which-member-of-congress-was-wiretapped

If it was Kerry, though, that would be particularly explosive as he was the President's opponent in the 2004 election.

Agreed, that it said CongressMAN, so it sounds like it was a male member of the House, if taken literally.

[ProSense]

8. "the N.S.A. tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant"

I think they're using Congressman in the generic form.

Thanks for the update.

[frazzled]

9. Was Kerry's trip part of a congressional delegation?

From what I can find, it was a solo trip, but perhaps I am wrong. But again, this would not make him high on my list of suspects. Pelosi would rank higher imo.

[ProSense]

11. I have no idea, it could be anyone.

It could be Pelosi. My point is that Congressman is being used in the generic.

Rumors that Kerry was targeted have been circulated before.

[karynnj]

20. True and the most troubing are that he was targeted while running for President

If so, they found nothing he was doing that was wrong, but they would know every strategy of the campaign and every expressed concern on any vulnerability.

[karynnj]

19. He has taken many trips - some solo some with a delegation

In early 2005, he went on a long trip to Iraq, Jordan, Eqypt, Israel, Germany, france and the UK. He also went to Iraq (and likely other countries with Senator Warner and (lucky them) Ted Stevens in August 2005 before he put out his "Path Forward" plan in October 2005. In late 2006, he was in Iraq, Israel and Syria with Chris Dodd. Those are the 2005 and 2006 trips I can remember without looking anything up

[wisteria]

13. Still, the Senator would be of more interest I would think because he was and is a prominent member

of the Foreign Relations Committee with greater influence and interest in policy matters in the Middle East. Middle Eastern trips planned by members of Congress to visit the troops and get a first hand account of certain matters just does not come close to what the Senator would make a visit for.

Pelosi is interesting though. Her trip upset the Republicans from the White House on down. But, she is not that involved in foreign affairs.

[cherokeeprogressive]

10. Wiretap ALL congresscritters, ALL the time.

Codify it. Add a sundown clause tied to the day they congresscritters stop wiretapping US. Wiretap them all and post every one of their daily communications where anyone with a library card can read them. Force newspapers to dedicate a section to "Today's Congresscritter Communication".

Spy on them indiscriminately until they stop spying on US.

[ProSense]

12. "Spy on them indiscriminately until they stop spying on US."

Congress isn't spying on us.

Who is going to do the spying you're suggesting? Will they stop at just members of Congress?

Can we refrain from stupid suggestions?

[karynnj]

21. Actually some Senators spoke out strongly on this - just not enough of them

Senators Kerry and Dodd were two of the strongest.

[slipslidingaway]

14. Another possibility - Kucinich travels to the Middle East

http://www.auphr.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2623&Itemid=44

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2034763&mesg_id=2034763

September 2006

"...CLEVELAND (September 1) Congressman Dennis Kucinich, ranking member on the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, and his wife Elizabeth have just returned from a personal peace-building initiative in the Middle East. Their mission included war-torn Lebanon, where they met separately and at length with Lebanon Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, President Emile LaHoud, General Michel Aoun, former Prime Minister and now leader of the Progressive Patriotic Party; Fawzi Salloukh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants, Yacoub Sarrat, Minister of the Environment and former Prime Minister Selim Al-Hoss...


A last minute flight cancellation forced the couple to travel to Israel overnight, 11 hours by car, across Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. In Israel they met with directors and policy advisors of the State of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem and discussed the war, security and Israeli casualties. The Kuciniches had hoped to visit the affected areas in northern Israel but were told by Israeli officials that there would not be much to see because repairs were almost completed. In the Palestinian town of Ramallah, they met with a small group of government officials and representatives of NGOs. They also met with Suheil Dawani, Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Jerusalem and his wife.

In July, when the war broke out, Kucinich quickly organized a group of 36 House members who sponsored House Concurrent Resolution 450, which called upon the administration to seek immediate ceasefire and to help convene multi-party talks in the region, with no preconditions. Last week Kucinich called for an end to the blockade of Lebanon...

Email from a missionary who met with DK and EK I got this on Friday, but couldn't figure out how/where to post it. At that time, I had no idea that DK was making a tour. Janet Lewis is the originaor of this e-mail. She is a United Methodist Church missionary in Lebanon..."

see link for email

[karynnj]

15. There are many possible members of Congress

over that time period. I actually doubt it was John Kerry because I don't think he has met with extremists thought to have terrorist ties. It is beyond wrong that they then monitored the Congressman's calls.

[ProSense]

18. I think that's just an excuse,

and a fairly bizarre one.

[Enrique]

17. it's got to be either Keith Ellison or Barack Obama

those are the only two known Muslins in Congress.

[politicasista]

22. Interesting n/t