Judge Rules NSA Eavesdropping Program Unconstitutional

A U.S. federal judge has ruled the U.S. government’s warrantless wiretapping program unconstitutional and ordered it ended.

In ruling on a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit declared the telephone record collection program conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) to be a violation of privacy and the right of free speech.

When the controversial program was revealed in May, President Bush defended it as a terror-fighting necessity that had not invaded the privacy of Americans. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," he said. "Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates. So far we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil."

At the time, President Bush contended that congressional leaders had been briefed on the program and that the privacy of "ordinary" Americans is being "fiercely protected."

Also See:
NSA Has Database of All US Phone Calls: Report
Bush Explains Massive NSA Call Data Collection
Bush Takes Another Blow from the Courts