Published by TheNewYorkTimes
August 29, 2012
Filmmaker, Laura Poitras profiles William Binney, a 32-year veteran of the National Security Agency who helped design a top-secret program he says is broadly collecting Americans’ personal data.
William Binney is considered one of the best mathematicians and code breakers in the NSA’s history. Programs he created, intended for use on foreign operatives that have been turned against the people of the United States in a massive domestic spying operation, called “Stellar Wind,” which is ongoing.
This is a subversion of the Constitution and of any number of laws.
After he came forward, Binney’s house was raided (as he was getting out of the shower) by FBI agents who did not have clearances for domestic spying, as these operations were essentially criminal and the Bush Administration had classified these extremely impeachable offenses.
Top Justice Department officials threatened to resign because Stellar Wind violated the law. Their objections to the law are not public and the People of the US do not currently have any say in this matter.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that oversees the NSA is scheduled to be reauthorized in December 2012. Thirteen senators have signed a letter expressing concern that the law allows the collection of personal data from US citizens.
As Binney says, “We can call ourselves a democracy but that doesn’t mean that we will stay that way.”
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