Bush Administration moves to quash AT&T Surveillance Case
Bush administration has invoked "Military and State Secrets" privilleges to run down a class action suit filed by Internet Privacy Group, EFF against AT&T accusing the company of colluding with National Security Agency to facilitate interception of all communications by the NSA. The government says the proceedings could reveal military and state secrets and hence should be quashed.
In the interest of the government and the nation, administration has asked U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker to throw out the suit, saying divulging classified information may harm the national security interests.
President Bush had authorized the interception of networks withhout the court orders in action after the September 11 attacks. A 1978 law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, requires the government to obtain a warrant from a court in a secret session for such surveillance, which was apparently over ridden in this case.
EFF, or Electonics Frontier Foundation says it has obtained documents from a former AT&T technician showing that the security agency is capable of tapping all communications on the company’s network. The said documents, which are under seal details secret spying rooms and electronic surveilance equipment in AT&T facilities.
"The fact that the United States will assert the state secrets privilege should not be construed as a confirmation or denial of any of the plaintiffs’ allegations, either about AT&T or the alleged surveillance activities," the administration wrote in its court filing.
