Magnifico has a diary currently on the Recommended List highlighting the explosive New York Times story about the NSA wiretapping Americans in a systemic way outside the law. However, I want to highlight one aspect of the article that is particularly disturbing. And that is 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.
If we can find out who that was, what is now a big story among those of us concerned about civil liberties, will have much further reach.
Spencer Ackerman over at the Washington Independent has been doing his own sharing of speculation on who it was hereand here. His first guess was mine as well:
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.
However, the article refers to a congressMAN, so maybe they mean a male member of the House. Ackerman did a follow up post casting the net wider:
My first guess was Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who visited the West Bank in January 2006. But why stop there? In March 2005, a so-called CODEL traveled to Iraq, Jordan, Israel Lebanon and Egypt. On the trip were Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 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.).
Those weren’t the only ones. Another March 2005 CODEL featured members taking a survey of Mideast democratization efforts. On that trip: Rep. David Dreier (R-Calif.), Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.), and then-Rep. E. Clay Shaw (R-Fla.). They went to the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Cyprus and two other countries I didn’t immediately identify.
Let’s continue. January 2006: a congressional delegation goes to Europe, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Middle East enough? That one had then-Rep. Jon Porter (R-Nev.), Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.), Rep. Melissa Hart (R-Penn.), Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.), Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) and Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.).
Then there was a December 2006 senatorial CODEL to Iraq, Israel, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) brought back photos.
All in all, he came up with 27 names, but there could be more.
Greg Sargent also wants to know:
Really? Note that there was an active attempt by the NSA to wiretap a member of Congress. Who was it? Seems worth finding out.
It seems to me that we really, really, really need to get to the bottom of this. In fact, I think this question should be asked every day until it is answered. This is not a wiretap of huge swaths of anonymous people which is very difficult for our brains to completely comprehend. This is wiretapping a person, perhaps someone we are all familiar with, quite likely a political opponent of then President Bush. It makes what seems abstract very real. Which will lead us to the following conclusion: if they can spy on a powerful member of Congress, they can spy on us all.
So far, by the way, the Right, after shrieking about a DHS report on right wing extremists, have not uttered a peep in reaction to this report. Why am I not surprised?