Federal Judge Finds NSA Wiretaps Were Illegal, Bush and Pals still roaming free on American soil.

Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretaps Were Illegal

By CHARLIE SAVAGE and JAMES RISEN
Published: March 31, 2010

WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the National Security Agency’s program of surveillance without warrants was illegal, rejecting the Obama administration’s effort to keep shrouded in secrecy one of the most disputed counterterrorism policies of former President George W. Bush.

In a 45-page opinion, Judge Vaughn R. Walker ruled that the government had violated a 1978 federal statute requiring court approval for domestic surveillance when it intercepted phone calls of Al Haramain, a now-defunct Islamic charity in Oregon, and of two lawyers representing it in 2004. Declaring that the plaintiffs had been “subjected to unlawful surveillance,” the judge said the government was liable to pay them damages.

The ruling delivered a blow to the Bush administration’s claims that its surveillance program, which Mr. Bush secretly authorized shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was lawful. Under the program, the National Security Agency monitored Americans’ international e-mail messages and phone calls without court approval, even though the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, required warrants.

via nytimes.com

This means that Bush is guilty of a crime, right? That means we should put him and anyone else who helped him in jail, right? To set an example for the future so no future presidents will try to get away with the same thing, right?

Because, if not, I'm just going to break some laws until some judge rules I've broken them, at which point I'll just shrug and say "well, it kept terrorists from attacking the Homeland" and move on with my life. Precedent shows I can get away with it.

So sick of the double standard. "For the people by the people," huh?

Posted via web from thepete's posterous