ACLU Sues Government Over International Calls

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

A civil liberties group sued the U.S. government Monday, saying various agencies have failed to provide adequate documents related to what it calls the sweeping monitoring of Americans' international communications.

The American Civil Liberties Union said in the lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan that its Freedom of Information Act requests since May had been largely ignored by the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and the Department of State. It sought a court order to force the government to turn over information about the rules governing how it monitors the international calls and the emails of Americans.

The ACLU said it wants to learn what protections are given to Americans whose communications are monitored and whether they are legally sufficient. The lawsuit said legal standards and limitations are sought rather than operational details.

A government spokeswoman said there was no immediate comment.

In a blog, ACLU staff attorney Alex Abdo said revelations over the last year have increased the public's understanding about how the government conducts surveillance when it sweeps up Americans' international communication when it takes place on U.S. soil. But he said there was little known about an executive order which allows U.S. agencies to monitor Americans' communication in other countries.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/aclu-sues-government-international-calls-21375585

[RC]

1. The only choices of our government on this, is to ignore, lie, or blow their own cover.

I am picking doors one and two.

[Doctor_J]

2. They just don't understand chess

By secretly monitoring our calls they are actually making us MORE free.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Kick

.