Massive NSA operation exposed as Congress prepares vote on domestic spying bill

The Senate has already passed—with substantial bipartisan support—domestic spying legislation that rubberstamps the Bush administration’s demand for virtually unfettered wiretapping within the US. At the same time, the Senate bill provides retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that violated their customers’ privacy rights by collaborating in the government’s illegal surveillance.

The House leadership is reportedly preparing to split these two aspects of the Senate legislation, in a cynical move designed to allow Democrats to approve the domestic spying powers, while most would cast a protest vote against immunity for the telecoms. Enough Democrats in the House have already indicated their support for immunity for this provision to clear the chamber as well.

The focus of the current congressional debate on immunity for telecommunications companies has served to obscure the police-state character of the domestic spying operation that this immunity is meant to protect.

Aborting the existing lawsuits—about 40 of which are currently before a San Francisco court—is intended to suppress the only legal means still available of uncovering information on the government’s illegal spying. The Bush administration has fended off lawsuits against the government itself on the grounds that they would compromise “national security.” The White House fears that civil suits against the companies would lead to disclosures that could form the basis for the criminal prosecution of the highest ranking members of the administration.

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