The documents AT&T and the NSA did not want you to see.

[carrrnuttt]

It started with a few lawsuits:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/...n/3877484.html

May 20, 2006, 11:04PM
Rights-group chief, detainee lawyer sue AT&T

Associated Press

AUSTIN - The director of a civil rights group and a lawyer who represents a Guantanamo Bay detainee are among plaintiffs who sued AT&T in federal court Friday about the release of customer phone records to the National Security Agency.

Last week, USA Today reported that AT&T Inc. and other phone companies complied with a security agency request for millions of customer phone records after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

An AT&T spokesman has said the San Antonio-based company does not allow wiretapping without a court order and has not given customer information to government agencies without legal authorization.

The class-action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court.

One of the plaintiffs is Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project.

Another, lawyer Richard Grigg, said he uses his AT&T mobile phone to communicate with other lawyers about client Ahktiar Mohommad, who was captured in Afghanistan more than three years ago and is being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Grigg said he regularly consults with a group of lawyers who call themselves the "Guantanamo Bar" because they represent so many detainees there.
"Many of our issues are the same," Grigg said. "That's a real problem if the government is in any way monitoring your calls. That could be extremely dangerous."

The lawsuit says the company has violated federal and state law and seeks $1,000 for each disclosure of a call record and $100 per day per violation.

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/38142.php

Posted: Monday, 22 May 2006 8:38AM

Prominent Chicagoans Sue AT&T over NSA Surveillance

Steve Grzanich Reporting
CHICAGO (WBBM Newsradio 780) -- A group of high-profile Chicagoans who also are customers of AT&T head to federal court Monday as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the telecommunication giant for divulging private records to the National Security Agency.

The plaintiffs in this lawsuit include a who's-who of prominent Chicago-area professionals from the journalism, legal, medical and religious communities.

WBBM Newsradio 780's Steve Grzanich has learned the group includes Chicago author Studs Terkel, Dr. Quentin Young, Rabbi Gary Gerson of Oak Park Temple, former City of Chicago Corporation Counsel James Montgomery, Illinois House of Representatives Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and Loyola Law School Professor Diane Geraghty. All are customers of AT&T. Their lawsuit alleges the phone company handed over private phone records to the National Security Agency without a lawful order.

By some estimates, tens of millions of customers might have standing to join similar class action lawsuits expected to be filed across the country. In addition to AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth reportedly also turned over records to the NSA.

Sources tell WBBM that the short term aim of the lawsuit being filed in Chicago is an attempt to stop the data collection by court order. The long term goal is to try and uncover details and other records of the surveillance program that still remain secret.

Details of the lawsuit will be disclosed during a news conference at Noon Monday at the offices of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, 180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2300. Most if not all of the plaintiffs are expected to be available to answer questions.

Contents of this site are Copyright © 2006 by WBBM

And then: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=31872

Public Interest


By Nick Farrell: Monday 22 May 2006, 15:34


THE MAGAZINE Wired News has leaked a court statement which claims that AT&T was involved in the US government's warrantless wiretap operation.


The documents here, are part of a court case to which the presiding Judge has refused to allow the public access. AT&T says that the information would damage its business and the US government says it is top secret.

Wired, on the other hand, said that is a load of old cobblers and the public's right to know the full facts in this case outweighed AT&T's claims to secrecy.
The magazine has got hold of documents that consist of 30 pages, with an affidavit attributed to the whistleblower Mark Klein, and eight pages of AT&T documents marked "proprietary".

Unfortunately for AT&T, because of the court's gagging order, Wired News can't check if these are the documents that are under the court's seal. The court ban specifically did not stop Klein talking about the case and it is his statement that Wired News has published.
The magazine says that before publishing these documents it showed them to independent security experts, who agreed they pose no danger to AT&T.

And here's the direct link to the PDF documents: http://blog.wired.com/27BStroke6/att_klein_wired.pdf

[tenguzero]

Now, now -- it's all in the name of national security, remember? What's a little wiretapping and lying between a government and its people, really? After all, it's designed to catch terrorists and bring them to justice. And look at how many they're hauling in! Clearly the feds care about the welfare of the people, and desire to protect them from potential harm. I mean, look at the bang-up job being done on the border! How could anyone say this government ISN'T interested in what's best for this country and its citizens.

[YogsVR4]

In addition to AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth reportedly also turned over records to the NSA.

Reported wrongly http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/16/news/companies/verizon/

Aside from that little tidbit, I still can't get worked up about the NSA phone record monkey on our back while the 400 lbs IRS gorilla keeps rolling along.

[fredjacksonsan]

Yep, oh sure I completely trust Verizon to tell the complete truth. I used to work for them, and quite frankly, don't believe the statement they put out.

IRS aside (just take my 15% off the top of all income, business and personal, and leave me alone in April), the current surveillance monkey will quickly grow to be a gorilla. Watch.