Excellent news folks for freedom and democracy supporters
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5260892.stmA secret wiretapping scheme brought in as part of the Bush administration's war on terror is unconstitutional and must stop, a federal judge has ruled.
The programme, approved by President Bush in 2001, allows for the monitoring of millions of US citizens' phone calls abroad without the need for a warrant.
In her 43-page ruling on the case, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit said that the surveillance programme violated protections on free speech and privacy.
"Plaintiffs have prevailed, and the public interest is clear, in this matter. It is the upholding of our constitution," Judge Taylor wrote.
While that issue has been made clear to the politicians, this threat is still pending , please do your bit folks and give these people a call to oppose back-door secret courts.
https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?alertId=239&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr005=158qcrnd42.app2aThe White House and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) have come to a sham compromise that would sweep the NSA's illegal spying program and any further government surveillance under the rug, shuffling legal challenges out of the traditional court system and into the shadowy FISA courts. This bill would stack the deck against anyone suing to stop illegal surveillance such as the wholesale violation of the Fourth Amendment alleged in EFF's suit against AT&T.
The Judiciary Committee will likely vote on this bill soon, and possibly an even worse bill authored by Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH). Check below to see if your Senators are on the committee -- if they are, please call them immediately and tell them to reject these proposals.
Keep your call to your representative short and polite. Whether he or she agrees with you or not, what is important is that the staffer knows you are a constituent, and that you want them to oppose Senate bills 2453 and 2455.
