NSA today, FRA tomorrow.

Photo: whurley on Flickr.

Power without oversight equals abuse!

From The NY Times – “Panel to Study Military Eavesdropping” (4-page article):

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, said Thursday that the committee would investigate claims by two military eavesdroppers that they routinely listened in on private calls home from American military officers, aid workers and journalists stationed in Iraq.

Former intelligence officers were interviewed by ABC News and by James Bamford, above, who has written a book about the National Security Agency due to be published next week.

Mr. Rockefeller, Democrat of West Virginia, called the accusations “extremely disturbing.”

“Any time there is an allegation regarding abuse of the privacy and civil liberties of Americans it is a very serious matter,” he said.

More references:
ABC News – Exclusive: Inside Account of U.S. Eavesdropping on Americans
UPI.com – Spy agency accused of improper listening
Reuters.com – U.S. probes claims officials eavesdropped on calls

Apparently the US’s multi-billion surveillance system is used to wiretap personal calls, and joking around about them. Will our system be used in the same way? For sure, power without oversight equals abuse. This is worth repeating.

Found this news first on Bruce Schneier‘s blog.