Feds, AT&T urge against wiretap trial

[cal04]

The federal government is urging an appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging President Bush's domestic eavesdropping program, warning that disclosure of such activities could compromise national security.

"The suit's very subject matter — including the relationship, if any, between AT&T and the government in connection with the secret intelligence activities alleged by plaintiffs — is a state secret," the Justice Department argued in court papers.

The documents were filed late Friday and released Monday by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which brought the suit. It accuses AT&T Inc. of illegally making communications on its networks available to the National Security Agency without warrants, and challenges Bush's assertion that he could use his wartime powers to eavesdrop on Americans without a warrant.

The NSA had conducted the surveillance without a court warrant until January, when the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court began overseeing the program.

The court filings on Friday are part of the government's appeal of U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker's decision last year to keep the foundation's lawsuit alive. Walker ruled that warrantless eavesdropping has been so widely reported that there appears to be no danger of spilling secrets.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070313/ap_on_re_us/domestic_spying_lawsuit_1

[robinlynne]

1. oh bullshit. the only thing compromising national security is our govt. nt

[BayCityProgressive]

2. How long until

"conservative Dems" AKA rich people who pull the strings..decide to take this off of the congressional agenda as well?

[B3Nut]

6. A-frickin-men to that. mt

[kiwilover]

3. AT&T

AT&T is a vile company to work for. There was a lot of fear in the workforce when I was there.

[badgervan]

4. Of, By and For the People?

The real compromise here is with our Constitution. What have we done to our country by not standing up to these criminals in OUR White House?

[HuffleClaw]

5. the only thing this could possibly 'compromise' is the administration

and its continued contempt for the rights of the american people