USA Today reports NSA obtained call logs from communications companies
{{date|May 12, 2006}}

[[United States|American]] newspaper ''[[USA Today]]'' reported on Thursday that the United States' [[National Security Agency]] (NSA) collected millions of call logs from telecommunications companies in 2001.  The report comes almost four months after a previous NSA controversy involving the monitoring of international calls placed within the United States.

Members of Congress called for answers from the government about the report detailing the agency's collection of records from telecommunications companies of American phone calls.
 
The top-ranking Democrat on the [[w:Senate Judiciary Committee|Senate Judiciary Committee]] said that he was very shocked about the [[w:NSA|NSA]] revelation.  "It is our government, it's not one party's government. It's America's government. Those entrusted with great power have a duty to answer to Americans what they are doing," said Senator [[w:Patrick Leahy|Patrick Leahy]] of Vermont.

[[w:AT&T|AT&T]], [[w:Verizon Communications|Verizon Communications]], and [[w:BellSouth|BellSouth]], three major telecommunications companies in the United States, began releasing logs of millions of phone calls to the NSA shortly after the [[w:September 11, 2001 attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]], according to the ''[[w:USA Today|USA Today]]'' report.

Earlier this year, the ''[[w:New York Times|New York Times]]'' released a report stating that the [[w:NSA|NSA]] had been monitoring certain phone calls placed between the United States and other countries.  Nominated CIA director [[w:Michael Hayden|Michael Hayden]] commented on the NSA program on [[w:January 23|January 23]], [[w:2006|2006]], stating: "The purpose of all this is not to collect reams of intelligence, but to detect and prevent attacks."  Hayden was the head of the NSA during the programs' durations.

President [[w:George W. Bush|George W. Bush]] assured Americans that their privacy is being "fiercely protected."  "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," commented Bush after leaving for a commencement address at [[w:Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College|Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College]] in [[w:Biloxi, MS|Biloxi]].

According to the report, the information released by the telecommunications companies does not detail the content of the calls. The identities of those that placed and received the calls were recorded.

The [[w:Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States|Supreme Court of the United States]] has previously ruled that logs of numbers dialed are not considered 'private' because they are being communicated to the telephone company.

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/nw_national_government/article/0,2564,ALBQ_19861_4691421,00.html
|title=Feds compile secret list of American's phone calls
|author=[[Associated Press|AP]]
|pub=Albuquerque Tribune
|date=May 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1193478,00.html
|title=A Tipping Point on Eavesdropping
|author=Matthew Cooper/Washington
|pub=TIME Magazine
|date=May 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/11/cauley/
|title= NSA collects lists of numbers Americans call
|author=Miles O'Brien
|pub=CNN
|date=May 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-11-nsa-reax_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA
|title=NSA secret database report triggers fierce debate in Washington
|author=Susan Page
|pub=USA Today
|date=May 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/11/politics/main1609261.shtml
|title=Congress Demands NSA Spying Answers 
|author=
|pub=CBS News
|date=May 11, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/2006/intell-060123-dni01.htm
|title=REMARKS BY GENERAL MICHAEL V. HAYDEN
|author=Press Release
|pub=Global Security
|date=January 26, 2006}}

{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[Category:North America]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:USA Today]]
[[Category:National Security Agency]]

[[de:US-Geheimdienstskandal: NSA sammelte Daten von US-Bürgern]]
[[ru:Американское правительство собирает сведения о телефонных разговорах]]
American newspaper USA Today reported on Thursday that the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) collected millions of call logs from telecommunications companies in 2001.  The report comes almost four months after a previous NSA controversy involving the monitoring of international calls placed within the United States.

Members of Congress called for answers from the government about the report detailing the agency's collection of records from telecommunications companies of American phone calls.
 
The top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said that he was very shocked about the NSA revelation.  "It is our government, it's not one party's government. It's America's government. Those entrusted with great power have a duty to answer to Americans what they are doing," said Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

AT&T, Verizon Communications, and BellSouth, three major telecommunications companies in the United States, began releasing logs of millions of phone calls to the NSA shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to the USA Today report.

Earlier this year, the New York Times released a report stating that the NSA had been monitoring certain phone calls placed between the United States and other countries.  Nominated CIA director Michael Hayden commented on the NSA program on January 23, 2006, stating: "The purpose of all this is not to collect reams of intelligence, but to detect and prevent attacks."  Hayden was the head of the NSA during the programs' durations.

President George W. Bush assured Americans that their privacy is being "fiercely protected."  "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," commented Bush after leaving for a commencement address at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Biloxi.

According to the report, the information released by the telecommunications companies does not detail the content of the calls. The identities of those that placed and received the calls were recorded.

The Supreme Court of the United States has previously ruled that logs of numbers dialed are not considered 'private' because they are being communicated to the telephone company.

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de:US-Geheimdienstskandal: NSA sammelte Daten von US-Bürgern
North America United States USA Today National Security Agency