Thomas Veil
Mar 25, 2006, 05:15 PM
Think your conversations with your doctor or lawyer are private? Not necessarily.
WASHINGTON – The National Security Agency could have legally monitored ordinarily confidential communications between doctors and patients or attorneys and their clients, the Justice Department said Friday of its controversial warrantless surveillance program.
Responding to questions from Congress, the department also said that it sees no prohibition to using information collected under the NSA's program in court....
Since the program was disclosed in December, some skeptical lawmakers have investigated the Bush administration's legal footing, raising questions including whether the program could capture doctor-patient and attorney-client communications. Such communications normally receive special legal protections.
“Although the program does not specifically target the communications of attorneys or physicians, calls involving such persons would not be categorically excluded from interception,” the department said.
The department said the same general criteria for the surveillance program would also apply to doctors' and lawyers' calls: one party must be outside the United States and there must be reason to believe one party is linked to al-Qaeda. The department's written response also said that these communications aren't specifically targeted and safeguards are in place to protect privacy rights. Not a particularly stunning revelation in itself, but do you feel that slippery slope getting even "slipperier"?
Link (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/terror/20060324-1805-eavesdropping.html)
WASHINGTON – The National Security Agency could have legally monitored ordinarily confidential communications between doctors and patients or attorneys and their clients, the Justice Department said Friday of its controversial warrantless surveillance program.
Responding to questions from Congress, the department also said that it sees no prohibition to using information collected under the NSA's program in court....
Since the program was disclosed in December, some skeptical lawmakers have investigated the Bush administration's legal footing, raising questions including whether the program could capture doctor-patient and attorney-client communications. Such communications normally receive special legal protections.
“Although the program does not specifically target the communications of attorneys or physicians, calls involving such persons would not be categorically excluded from interception,” the department said.
The department said the same general criteria for the surveillance program would also apply to doctors' and lawyers' calls: one party must be outside the United States and there must be reason to believe one party is linked to al-Qaeda. The department's written response also said that these communications aren't specifically targeted and safeguards are in place to protect privacy rights. Not a particularly stunning revelation in itself, but do you feel that slippery slope getting even "slipperier"?
Link (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/terror/20060324-1805-eavesdropping.html)
