NSA Call Snooping: Blogger Smells a Sting

Did the NSA, with the assistance of three major phone companies, really secretly collect the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans or not? Both BellSouth and Verizon are now flat out denying they had contracts to supply the NSA with their customers' call records, and AT&T claims they cooperate with law enforcement agencies "only when they have a court order." In the face of such strong denials, American Future blogger Marc Schulman suggests the entire flap may have been an NSA sting operation designed to expose journalists who leak national security secrets and to warn the rest not to.

"It seems most unlikely to me that these giant telecom companies are now engaged in document shredding operations to cover-up relationships with the NSA. The consequences of a failed coverup would be far worse than those of admitting to working with the NSA," blogs Schulman, wondering, "So, what gives?"

Also See:
FCC Commissioner Bucks Bush on Call Snooping
Bush Explains Massive NSA Call Data Collection
ABC: Administration Tracking Media Calls