CONYERS requests details & documents about potentially unlawful surveillance activities before 9/11

[kpete]

Chairman Conyers Asks DNI McConnell, Asst. Attorney General Wainstein to Explain Qwest Allegations
October 15th, 2007 by Jesse Lee

Today, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and Assistant Attorney General for National Security Kenneth Wainstein requesting details and documents about potentially unlawful surveillance activities before 9-11 and allegations of retalliation against Qwest Communications for failing to participate in such activities:


October 15, 2007

The Honorable Michael “Mike” McConnell
Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511

Honorable Ken Wainstein
Asst. Attorney General for National Security
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

Dear Director McConnell and Mr. Wainstein:

I am writing because of disturbing revelations over the past several days about warrantless Administration surveillance activities that allegedly occurred months before 9/11, and about claims that a company that did not participate in potentially unlawful surveillance activities may have been subject to retaliation by the Administration, including federal prosecution. According to news reports and papers filed with a federal court in Denver, as early as February, 2001, the NSA asked Qwest Communications and other telecommunications companies for some form of warrantless access to records concerning Americans’ private communications. Although the precise nature and scope of the intercepted communications has not been revealed, one report suggests that it may have involved “monitoring long distance calls and Internet transmissions and other digital information.” S. Shane, “Former Phone Chief Says Spy Agency Sought Surveillance Help Before 9/11,” New York Times (Oct. 14, 2007). Although Qwest apparently refused the request, which a former Qwest executive claims led to retaliation against him and his company, it is unknown what access to confidential customer information was provided by other telecommunications companies.

I appreciated your testimony several weeks ago on behalf of the Administration in connection with proposed improvements to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It is crucial, however, that Congress be fully informed of all the Administration’s surveillance activities involving telecommunications companies, particularly in light of the Administration’s request that retroactive immunity from liability be provided to these companies and Administration officials. Accordingly, I ask that you provide the Committee with an immediate briefing on the facts behind these recent revelations, and that you then provide us with any documents concerning the nature and scope of these pre-9/11 activities and the legal basis for conducting them.

Please contact the Judiciary Committee office, 2138 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515 (Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]) as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely,

John Conyers, Jr.

Chairman

cc: Hon. Lamar S. Smith

http://www.speaker.gov/blog/?p=849

[berni_mccoy]

1. K&R

[LittleClarkie]

2. I wonder if this is the same thing Ed Schultz was discussing on his show today

sounds like it, but I only caught a few minutes. The same sort of spying they're trying to justify with the war on terror going on BEFORE 9/11. How... nice.

[merh]

3. check out this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2043343

[Bitwit1234]

4. No one will ever dissuade me...

that from the very first rove had a network set up with his wiretapping and the email reading to keep track of all the democrats. Those running for office and those who were against bush's actions. I also think they were targeting protest groups. I believe that is how they out did Kerry on a lot of his campaign strategy. And you will never convince me that bush did not have a communication device on his back during the debate so he could be fed information.