NSA Sought Phone records 7 Months BEFORE 9-11

[illinoisprogressive]

The phone company Qwest Communications refused a proposal from the National Security Agency that the company’s lawyers considered illegal in February 2001, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, the former head of the company contends in newly unsealed court filings.

The executive, Joseph P. Nacchio, also asserts in the filings that the agency retaliated by depriving Qwest of lucrative outsourcing contracts.

The filings were made as Mr. Nacchio fought charges of insider trading. He was ultimately convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading and has been sentenced to six years in prison. He remains free while appealing the conviction.

Mr. Nacchio said last year that he had refused an N.S.A. request for customers’ call records in late 2001, after the Sept. 11 attacks, as the agency initiated domestic surveillance and data mining programs to monitor Al Qaeda communications.

But the documents unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Denver, first reported in The Rocky Mountain News on Thursday, claim for the first time that pressure on the company to participate in activities it saw as improper came as early as February, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/business/14qwest.html?_r=1&ex=1350014400&en=d79ceb4f4ce279b1&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&oref=slogin

[Fridays Child]

1. Kicking...

[MadMaddie]

2. So folks what does this tell us?

In my opinion they knew we were going to get hit and they intentionally stood down.

Now is it TREASON?

[lordsummerisle]

3. A conspiracy theorist

might say the administration was prepping for a 9/11.

just sayin'...

[Kagemusha]

4. As opposed to Quest's refusal causing loss of critical intel, causing 9/11.

Which I'm sure right wingers are saying right now.

Just another "just sayin'" statement. I guess.

[lordsummerisle]

5. Oh, of course n/t

[Joanne98]

8. Or they would say it's a long term plan!

[lumberjack_jeff]

6. So, they're not so good with calendars.

Everything really changed seven months before 9-11.

Who says they're not proactive.

[midnight]

7. They made him an offer he truely should not of refused..... How in

the hell can these attorneys not see this political prosecution that is going on, and why is this not being stopped?