Former CEO Says NSA Punished Phone Firm

Washington Post:

A former Qwest Communications International executive, appealing a conviction for insider trading, has alleged that the government withdrew a $100 million contract after Qwest refused to participate in an unidentified National Security Agency program that the company's top lawyer said was illegal.

Former chief executive Joseph P. Nacchio, convicted in April of 19 counts of insider trading, said the NSA approached Qwest more than six months before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to court documents unsealed in Denver this week.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[WTFbush]

In a related story, President Bush shown here, points out the size of the balls of the Democrat controlled Congress.

[WTFbush]

I'm not sure but I think that someone's gonna get in trouble....didn't Gonzo just hire an expensive lawyer.

[bookish]

And how is it that the Patriot Act was ready for signatures just after 9-11? Another mystery.

[citizenofmars]

And how did they get the names and photos of the so-called "hijackers" on TV the very next day? Five of whom are still very much alive and well, according to George Tenant's sworn testimony. Each one swears his personal I.D. was stolen while traveling, before 911. There's just SO MUCH BS connected with the 'Commission', it's almost laughable. They don't even mention building seven, another smoking gun.

[Alvin4NY]

Don't forget how one of those passports was "found" in tact, in the pile of rubble at the WTC site. Thousands perished to dust, but that passport survived.

[don]

Must have been a typo. Surely they meant February 27, 2002, er, 3? Or was that September 27th? Gonzo, what date was that? Oh, yeah, you don't recall. Well search your memory. No, not the files or the notes, just your memory. Anything? Ok, nevermind, it'll blow over. I'm sure we can show that the memos were done on a work processor. What do you mean, of course they were? Well, ok, the 2001 key stuck, that was it, right?

[average joe]

Insider trading 19 counts And my mothers building a nuke. Please reduce my time any lie you think of. If you can't do the time don't do the crime.

[ohmetoo]

This must be why AT&T doesn't give me a list of my monthly calls anymore! They send them to the NSA instead and save printing costs so no longer can afford to give me the list! Amazing. Is that how it works?

[RDixon]

Congress fiddled while the Bush admin burned the constitution.
And even with a supposed change in the power structure of it; Congress is still fiddling and the constitution is still burning.

America
1776 - 2001
RIP

[nuQlerOstrich]

RIP December 12, 2000

[Colmore]

This is a picture of Georgie, describing his brain.

[WretchedEtcher]

I am so tired of being lied to by the government for my own good.

How I yearn for truth. How I glob on to Jon Stewart, a comedian, for an ounce of the stuff.

[Colmore]

I believe they were wiretapping the democrats in office. They are now blackmailing them to stay with their program. It is the only thing that makes sense. Where has all the outrage gone? J. Edgar Hoover had tapes of everyone in any position of authority. When they wanted to fire him, he played the tapes. Everyone backed down, even though they despised him. Much as Georgie and Dickie are despised, but still in office.

[NoblesseOblige]

Exactly. That makes a lot of sense. With "impeachment off the table" and no de-funding of the Iraqi war coming anytime soon, the Democrats have been mysteriously and effectively muzzled and neutered by Bu$hCo.

[iburl]

I agree that Bush is wiretapping his politcal enemies. How could he not be? It's not like these people have the tinest SPECK of respect for the law. They do whatever they have to do to get their way, and so far it's worked out perfectly for them.

[citizenofmars]

Who needs Hoover when you have Anthrax?

[ZingoBonMot]

~Jane22~

"Who has what on them (the Dems)?"
See citizensofmars post above yours.
Does the Anthrax attack on Tom Daschle's office right after 9/11 ring a bell? Hell, Darth Cheney as much as threatened Congress with that possibility last week. Only he said "Islamofascistterrorists" would be responsible. Yeah, right...

[Jane22]

The Dems. with a few exceptions are part of the same game...MONEY! Who has what on them? I'll bet it's alot! That is why Pelosi has Impeachment off the table!!!!!! It's not really hard to figure out by process of elimination. All of them are beholden to many of the same benefactors. Go back to the Clinton years to look at Mother Jones mag. to see their coverage of the big money game. Clinton was not clean. He is/was a Republicrat! Long live Michael Moore!

[ashabot]

UNAMERICAN BASTARDS!

[bethinCary]

If this isn't proof the Bush Wh has acted illegally and lied about all of thier surveillance of "foreign terrorists" I don't know what will. I applaud Nacchio for refusing to go along-something other telecoms should have done-all they have to do is threaten to go to the press should Cheney try to blackmail them again.
Not to Congress: NO IMMUNITY DEALS..PERIOD
Watch your approval ratings go down even further if you try.

Also----has anyone bothered to check when contracts for the war originated-that's not under Exec. Privilege and Cheney should be hauled before Congress to testify (as one of their own-since he IS a member).
I'll bet Blackwater had a contract before 9-11 too.
All of this should show the conspiracy that this WH is corruptly complicit in-in lying about going into Irag, torture, wiretapping...to show it for what it is-ABUSE OF POWER by the WH, who knew good and well they plannned on reliving Nixons' years even before the war began.

[anotherpatriot]

Well, the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and Blackwater were both formed in 1997. Coincidence?

[accountability]

Oh, Oh, Oh!
Be still my heart...
Is this it?
Could this really be the one... eyes wide, jaw dropped, hear racing wioth hope and fear... breathe... they just won't deign to answer anything citing National Security.

Nacchio's account, which places the NSA proposal at a meeting on Feb. 27, 2001, suggests that the Bush administration was seeking to enlist telecommunications firms in programs without court oversight before the terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon. The Sept. 11 attacks have been cited by the government as the main impetus for its warrantless surveillance efforts.

well now. Isn't this a nasty little bit of news.
Not surprising mind you, nothing that anyone could reveal at this point would surprise me in the least. If you told me they were cannibals who feasted on the flesh of babies I would say yup, not surprising at all. Still outrageous however.

if this is true then I hate to say this, I mean I really, really, really hate to say this, but it would seem that there was a plan being readied for a just in case another Pearl Harbor type of attack happened (as PNAC says would be necessary to accomplish their goals quickly.) the implications are unspeakable.

I'm just saying... WTF.
Would YOU put anything past them?

[bookish]

It is a nasty little bit of news, and yet delightful.

Throw open those gates, and let justice come down like a rushing stream.

[citizenofmars]

www.question911.com free movies to wake you up

[FogBelter]

I don't think anyone should find it unreasonable anymore to want a serious re-evaluation of the the events of September 11, 2001. The more "revelations" come out associated with the actions of the Bush Administration in the lead up to that terrible day, the more the Adminstration's Official Story and the farcical '911 Commission Report' look like a coverup.

We have over 3000 dead Americans and no Justice for them. If it turns out the true villians in this attrocity have an American face as opposed to an Arab face the outcome for the criminals, whatever their rank or stature, should be the same.

[anotherpatriot]

And consider all of the things Bushco has used 9/11 to justify--war on terror, war in Afghanistan, War in Iraq, illegal wire tapping of US citizens, loss of habeas corpus and our consitutional rights, torture and on and on.

What happened to at least $9-billion that is missing and unaccounted for?

Read the documents at the PNAC website. In the months prior to 9/11, it is clear that these guys wanted to build a huge worldwide military complex as part of their new world order of dominance through military force. The problem was getting Congress to agree to the need of spending 100s of billions of dollars to substantially increase the military during a time of peace.

[OckhamsElectricRazor]

If true, this Bush's Watergate.

[citizenofmars]

Pray

[VOTER]

If the records show wiretapping any of the many far-right Christians, we may stand a chance.

My bet is a "yes."