Fergie's Tech Blog

White House Invokes Secrets Privilege in Eavesdropping Cases

An AP newswire article, via News8Austin, reports that:

The Bush administration is asking federal judges in New York and Michigan to dismiss a pair of lawsuits filed over the National Security Administration's domestic eavesdropping program.

Justice Department lawyers say it would be impossible to defend the legality of the program without disclosing secrets that could be of value to suspected terrorists.

At issue is an NSA program that allows investigators to eavesdrop on Americans who communicate with people outside the country suspected of terrorist ties.

In New York, the Center for Constitutional Rights has asked a judge to stop the program. The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups filed a similar lawsuit in Detroit.

An attorney for the Center for Constitutional Rights calls the administration's motion "undemocratic." The Center argues that ample safeguards could be put in place to allow the case to continue without disclosing classified information.

posted by Fergie @ 5/28/2006 08:43:00 AM