Whistleblower Tells Olbermann NSA Spied On Journalists (VIDEO)

On Keith Olbermann's show Wednesday night, former National Security Agency analyst Russell Tice said that reporters were spied on inside the United States.

Watch:

Former NSA analyst Russell Tice, who has claimed to be a source for the NY Times explosive 2005 story, told Keith Olbermann last night that the NSA collected information on journalists.

Transcript, via Politico:

OLBERMANN: I mention that you say specific groups were targeted. What group or groups can you tell us about?

TICE: Well, there's sort of two avenues to look at this. What I just mentioned was sort of the low-tech dragnet look at this. The things that I specifically were involved with were more on the high-tech side. And try to envision, you know, the dragnets are out there, collecting all the fish and then ferreting out what they may. And my technical angle was to try to harpoon fish from an airplane kind of thing. So it's two separate worlds. But in the world that I was in, as to not harpoon the wrong people in some -- in one of the operations that I was in, we looked at organizations just supposedly so that we would not target them. So that we knew where they were, so as not to have a problem with them. Now, what I was finding out, though, is that the collection on those organizations was 24/7, and you know, 365 days a year, and it made no sense. And that's -- I started to investigate that. That's about the time when they came after me, to fire me. But an organization that was collected on were U.S. news organizations and reporters and journalists.

OLBERMANN: To what purpose? I mean, is there a file somewhere full of every e-mail sent by all the reporters at the "New York Times?" Is there a recording somewhere of every conversation I had with my little nephew in upstate New York? Is it like that?

TICE: If it was involved in this specific avenue of collection, it would be everything. Yes. It would be everything.

Comments

[eladora]

I always always figured they had listened to Dan Rather talk with his source on the Bush National Guard issue--thats how they buried him.

[cactusgal]

Yours is an excellent observation & hadn't occurred to me. I've thought all along that Rather REALLY got the shaft.

[NWRICK]

Rather ran with an unconfirmed document. He paid a heavy price for his lack of verification.
If the same standard were applied industry wide, most media outlets would fall silent.

[Grunty1]

But no one ELSE in the media ever pays for "lack of verification"

[as if]

Although this is absolutely outrageous, no level of evil or undermining of the constitution by the bush/cheney administration surprises me anymore.

My question to other Huff posters is this:

Has there been any news about President Obama's pick for Director of the NSA?

[junebug08]

Information on this past presidency will be slowly revealed to show how truly paranoid and fearful they were of freedom in America, and will also show how they worked very hard to supress the voices of the public. It will take years and years to unveil what they have done to our citizen's rights in the name of "war".

[myke3000]

If comparing in 2008 terms, this is shaping up to be worse than Nixon/Watergate. I got a cold chill when I heard this on Countdown. That's not the way America works, Mr. (Former) President. THIS is one reason why Conryn is holding up the Holder AG confirmation process...to avoid being held accountable.

Goodness gracious.

[junebug08]

Indeed! They are working very hard to stop any type of "reveal"

[Grunty1]

Much, much worse. Nixon was a boy scout and a saint compared to Dubya.

[HolmesMusic]

That's ok, George, we got cha right here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXxTooNIsBc

[petitveritas]

I concur with the first post. This is the biggest news story of the year. There are many implications to this story and many questions that need thorough investigation. How many journalists and politicians were monitored 24x7x365? Was the collected data used to influence stories in the press or votes in congress?

The extensive and intensive nature of the operation had to have had an end purpose other than the collection of data for collection's sake. What was/is the end purpose of the operation? Who is in charge? Who ordered it? Who benefited most and how did they benefit? I can certainly make educated guesses, but I would rather have the facts known and brought to light.

Where is the outrage? We knew this was taking place, but this story opens the door for even the most fainthearted member of the main stream press to demand answers, if only to protect their self-interests.

[teacheng]

Let's hope now that they feel 'free' to have outrage that we'll see some.

Write to your news outlets about this. There's got to be some journalists who don't like the idea of being spied on...

[rubberstamp]

Let the whistleblowers scream. I think everyone expected to hear these stories coming out now that the Bush years are over. These people needed to wait till the coast was clear to expose any criminal directives.
The truth will come out.

[lattedrinker]

I was in disbelief last night while watching the show. How any journalist is not raising HELL is beyond me.

[HolmesMusic]

Imagine my surprise http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw9bxJb--3c

[SimJack]

NSA analyst in Bush admin doing preumptive legal dance prior to charges being brought in attempt to negotiate lighter sentence or honest whistleblower?

[wijg]

Offered up on a silver platter for House Speaker Pelosi.

[lungfish]

Well Kieth, nobody better than you to grab this and run with it. We are behind you. The NSA is out of control and Obama and co need to put the brakes on it.... I don't care how good they are, if they are spying on us then its gone too far.

[ritenow]

I wish I could say I'm shocked - but unfortunately, I can't. :(

[motoGpifupleez]

The Cheney/"W" government spied on journalists? I don't believe it! I suppose the next thing you'll say is that they were spying on citizens and tapping our phones as well.

[Grunty1]

Journalists are generally citizens, are they not?

[Kim in Florida]

Actually, Mr. Tice said exactly that in his interview. This is not the first time in history that our government has spied on its citizens. During the McCarthy era, the FBI kept files on those who spoke in dissent against the government and later on war protestors/activists for change, including John Lennon. With the explosive growth of technology over the last 30 years, it has become much easier for the government to secretly conduct a much more pervasive invasion of your privacy without your knowledge or consent. Please take the time to write or email your elected officials to demand an investigation and appropriate indictments. I have several times now and am most likely in one of those NSA databases for my efforts.

[drock973]

So did Lincoln and FDR.

[DaretoHOPE]

Your Proof?

And I'm pretty sure there were no phones in Lincolns day nor computers in FDRs:)

[drock973]

They intercepted letters and opened and read them.

[Grunty1]

"WHAHAHAHAH!! "

Come back when you stop whining that Bush is going down in history as the worst president of all time.

[eleutheros]

I saw the broadcast ... First, I don't doubt that spying took place, HOWEVER ... there was something about Mr. Tice that didn't sit well with me?

[authoritarianbootlicker]

Was it the "Boy Scout" act? The way he parted his hair perhaps?

[eladora]

I think he is afraid

[eleutheros]

you may be correct ...

[justoverit333]

You need to get a clue.