H U M A N R I G H T S A N D T O R T U R E

H U M A N R I G H T S A N D T O R T U R E

HUMAN RIGHTS Warrantless Wiretaps The Senate Torture Report

ON DECEMBER 16 TH 2005, THE NEW YORK TIMES REVEALED A SECRET PROGRAM BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. IT INVOLVED THE WARRENTLESS WIRETAPPING OF AMERICANS CALLING FOREIGN COUNTRIES THE WIRETAPS WERE NOT AUTHORIZED BY THE FISA COURT.

FOLLOWING THE ABUSES OF THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION CONGRESS PASSED THE FORIGN INTELLIGENCE SERVICE ACT (FISA). IT FORBID THE GOVERNMENT FROM WIRETAPPING PHONES WITHOUT EXPRESS CONSENT FROM THE FISA COURT.

Bush said the program has been reviewed regularly by the nation s top legal authorities and targets only those people with a clear link to these terrorist networks Noting the failures to detect hijackers already in the country before the strikes on DC and New York, Bush said the domestic spying since then has helped thwart other attacks. EVEN WITH THE JUSTIFICATION THERE WAS AN UPROAR...

HEDRICK SMITH was one of the first to track the story fully. Here is a clip from his report...

FRONTLINE WORLD: Spying On the Home Front (4 min.)

IT WAS SOON DISCOVERED THAT THE PRESIDENT S PROGRAM WAS MORE EXTENSIVE THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT.

MICHAEL KLEIN WAS AN AT&T TECHNICIAN WORKING IN SAN FRANCISCO. IN 2002 HE CLAIMS TO HAVE DISCOVERED A MASSIVE DATA-MINING OPERATON BY THE FED.

HERE IS A VIDEO INTERVIEW AND REVEALING LOOK AT WHAT KLINE SAYS WAS HAPPENING AT AT&T

IT INVOLVES MILLIONS OF PEOPLE S PHONE CALLS BEING FED INTO THIS ROOM AND COPIED FOR THE NSA TO ANALYZE

FRONTLINE WORLD: Spying On the Home Front (9 min.)

KLINE S STORY WAS VERIFIED IN THE NOV. 7 TH 2007 WASHINGTON POST AND EVEN INCLUDED A DIAGRAM SHOWING HOW THE SPLITTER WORKED.

IN OCTOBER 2007, THE WASHINGTON POST REVEALED THAT VERIZON HAD TURNED CUSTOMER PHONE AND INTERNET RECORDS 720 TIMES WITHOUT A COURT ORDER FROM 2005-2007. IT TURNED OVER RECORDS 94,000 TIMES WITH A SUBPOENA DURING THE SAME PERIOD.

ACCODING TO USA TODAY (5-11-06) The three telecommunications companies are working under contract with the NSA, which launched the program in 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made across town or across the country to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.

ACCODING TO USA TODAY (5-11-06) With access to records of billions of domestic calls, the NSA has gained a secret window into the communications habits of millions of Americans. Customers' names, street addresses and other personal information are not being handed over as part of NSA's domestic program, the sources said. But the phone numbers the NSA collects can easily be cross-checked with other databases to obtain that information.

ACCODING TO USA TODAY (5-11-06) AT&T recently merged with SBC and kept the AT&T name. Verizon, BellSouth and AT&T are the nation's three biggest telecommunications companies; they provide local and wireless phone service to more than 200 million customers. NOTE: THE POPULATION OF THE USA IS APPROX. 300 MILLION

ACCODING TO USA TODAY (5-11-06) Among the big telecommunications companies, only Qwest, with 14 million customers, has refused to help the NSA, the sources said. According to multiple sources, Qwest declined to participate because it was uneasy about the legal implications of handing over customer information to the government without warrants.

WHAT IS THE NSA?

IT IS LOCATED IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY MARYLAND, JUST OFF ROUTE 32.

CREATED IN 1942, IT IS RESPONSIBEL FOR THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN COMMUNICATION, AND PROTECTING THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. PARKING LOT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE 18,000 BASED ON PHOTOGRAPHY. SECOND LARGEST CONSUMER OF ELECTRICITY IN MARYLAND, SPENDING $31 MILLION PER YEAR. DETAILED IN THE BOOK THE PUZZLE PALACE

IN 2005 NBC NEWS FILED THIS RARE LOOK AT THE POWER OF THE AGENCY. ANDREA MITCHEL REPORTS

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS 9.20.05

TO TAP AMERICAN S PHONES LEGAL?

IN 2007 THE AND OTHERS SUED IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE PROGRAM. THE FEDERAL APPEALS COURT THREW OUT HE CASE... The court did not rule on the spying program s legality. Instead it declared the American Civil Liberties Union and the others who brought the case, including academics, lawyers and journalists did not have the standing to sue because they could not demonstrate that they had been direct targets of the clandestine surveillance.

HOW WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO KNOW IF THEY WERE PART OF THE PROGRAM AND PROVE IT?

Although the contents of of calls and emails are protected courts have ruled that metadata - basic records of calls and emails kept by phone companies are not. WASHINGTON POST - 7.29.07

THE LAW THAT WAS ADDED TO FAISA TO ALLOW WARRENTLESS WIRETAPS IS CALLED THE PROTECT AMERICA ACT IT WAS TEMPORARY AND EXPIRED ON FEB. 17 TH 2008. THE DEMOCRATS BLOCKED ITS REAUTHORIZATION.

THERE WERE OVER 40 LAWSUITS AGAINST PHONE COMPANIES FROM CUSTOMERS. AT&T, VERIZON AND SPRINT WERE AMONG THOSE BEING SUED. The cases against them were eventually dismissed, because none of the plaintiffs could actually prove they had actually been tapped. Congress also granted immunity to phone companies for ther participation in the program.

HUMAN RIGHTS The Senate Torture Report

On August 1, 2014, during a White House press conference, Pres. Obama acknowledged that TORTURE was used by the U.S. after the 9-11 attacks. Watch...

that in the immediate We Even We did did some before aftermath a whole things we I came tortured lot that of of into 9-11 things were some office, we contrary that did folks. I was some were to very right things our clear values. but that were wrong CNN News Airdate: August 1, 2014

ON DECEMBER 10 TH 2014 THE SENATE INTELLIGENCE SUBCOMMITEE RELEASED A 525 PAGE SUMMARY OF IT S 6000 PAGE REPORT. The rest of the report remains CLASSIFIED.

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams December 10, 2014

DIANE FEINSTEIN Democrat, Senator from California Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence She pressed Congress to vote to release the report in in December, 2014 before Republicans took control in January, 2015.

The Brutality is Shocking CNN NEWS, December 10, 2014

As a former POW (Viet Nam), Arizona senator John McCain (R) has repeatedly spoken out against using torture to extract information. Listen To His Logic. This Report aired on May 13, 2011

CBS NEWS The Early Show John McCain Republican Senator AZ - May31, 2011 This then and is rejecting and Aside They by obviously much by and the what We if of the cruel an will Because we You from most Geneva the talk didn't enemy way, inspriation we any tell practice Through we they and are United about that importantly, stand you form I've do can If (not think Convention will I'm you experience, Senator seen whatever authority human States get profound for deeply feel normal a did inflict the terrorist torture, more and believe them not that Japanese preserve McCain and treatment concerned believe enough John conventional help and accurate, they consequences why would motivate saying organization) torture do Baghram, other McCain's think find for can joins was things in. our physical war happen other Osama "enhanced do America agreements about is more based commitments us people our criminals so necessary the interogation that without from passionate countries important enemies, pain if valuable takes same who bin deminish the who Capitol has your another Laden. interrorgation we these future. Americans thing that always are someone throughout Nazi are then information by time techniques speech get Hill. and we enhanced our that as conflict you our war that it as will been harm a could constitution, we a country custody prisoner criminals pain not POW. techniques" speak have the example world senate image practiced. stop. out? floor

Four Western hostages held by the Islamic State in Syria were reportedly subjected to waterboarding, a key Bush-era torture method that simulates drowning. The Washington Post reports the hostages were waterboarded "several times" early in their captivity, including the murdered American journalist James Foley. The ISIL waterboarding was apparently modeled on the CIA s use of it to interrogate prisoners following 9/11. President Obama banned waterboarding upon taking office in 2009 and recently described it as torture. DEMOCRACY NOW, AUG 29, 2014

END HUMAN RIGHTS PRESENTATION