USA Today reported in May 2006 that President Bush did authorize the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping program and that AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth were “working under contract” soon after the “terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,” according to their source.  However, in a Washington Post and a Los Angeles Times article about the insider trading conviction of Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio, we find out that Qwest (one of the only large telecoms to deny the government spy request) was approached about the program in February of 2001, over six months BEFORE the September 11, 2001 tragedy.  If, as these articles state, the much-needed illegal program to combat terrorism started PRIOR TO the attacks, why weren’t these attacks prevented, and, since they weren’t, why was the unlawful program continued?

Outraged at the fact that my family has been a loyal AT&T customer for decades, we decided to take a stand:  we are canceling our service.  Having had many elongated conversations with the courteous people in Customer Service at AT&T, it has come to our attention just how many people in this huge company, have no idea or understanding of what their employer has done.  In talking with many of my own family and friends, it is clear that very few people, in fact, comprehend the egregiousness of the past several years of abuses by the NSA and the telecoms.

While conversing with AT&T about our desire to be released from our contracts, we were told they had no intentions of releasing us from our contracts, because they did nothing wrong, they did not release any of our information and they had read the “stories” on the internet, too.  Internet rumor, is it?  Then why, I asked, did Congress have to pass HR 6304, giving the telecoms retroactive immunity for the program, if the telecoms did nothing wrong!  And you know, the AT&T representative said something that I could actually agree with…  “Congress passes laws all the time that are questionable!”

1) Why did Judge Anna Diggs Taylor’s ruling find the program illegal and specifically state that the secret program was acknowledged by the Bush Administration, “undisputedly inaugurated by the National Security Agency” and “without benefit of warrant or other judicial approval?”

2) Why didn’t Judge Vaughn Walker dismiss the Tash Hepting v AT&T case altogether?  Why did Judge Walker, in the same case affirm “AT&T and the government have for all practical purposes already disclosed that AT&T assists the government in monitoring communication content.”

3) Why does the Hepting v AT&T ruling state, in official court documents, that “Considering the ubiquity of AT&T telecommunications services, it is unclear whether this program could even exist without AT&T’s acquiescence and cooperation” and “AT&T’s history of cooperating with the government on such matters is well known.”

4) Where are the official certifications required to prove that what you did was legal?  After all, you could have saved time in court and the cost of your lawyers by just producing these certifications.

5) Judge Walker, citing the Keith Decision, said the Supreme Court made it perfectly clear that the “Fourth Amendment does not permit warrantless wiretaps to track domestic threats to national security. 

Now, AT&T, you were saying something about an Internet rumor?  While the Congress voted to give AT&T retroactive immunity for their “alleged” illegal actions, I do not.  It is time to fess up and take responsibility for your actions in this assault on our Right to Privacy.