Qwest, the only telecommunications firm to reject a request for all telephone records made by the National Security Agency (NSA) indicated on Friday that it did so because the request violated federal privacy laws.

The company released a statement Friday morning indicating that the decision not to hand over its customers' records was made by former chief executive, Joseph N. Nacchio. Nacchio asked his lawyers if 'a warrant or other legal process had been secured in support of that request.'

When he was informed no warrant had been obtained by the government, and that there was a 'disinclination on the part of the authorities to use any legal process,' Nacchio concluded that 'the requests violated the privacy requirements of the Telecommunications Act.'

Qwest was the only telecommunications giant to turn down the government's secret demands. According to a report in Thursday's 'USA Today,' AT&T, BellSouth and Verizon all handed over the telephone logs of all of their clients shortly after the September 11 attacks when the NSA demanded them.

The open questioning of the legality of the NSA's actions came on the same day that former NSA chief, General Michael Hayden, was seeking support on Capitol Hill for his nomination as the next director of the CIA. Despite the controversy surrounding against Haden's military background and the questionable legality of actions taken by the NSA during his tenure, Mr. Bush remains supportive of his nominee.

Hayden continues to defend the NSA's data gathering program, telling reporters, 'Everything that the agency has done has been lawful.' It's been briefed to the appropriate members of Congress.'

Senator Arlen Specter (R-Penn.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has indicated he will call upon the presidents of the major telecommunications firms to determine exactly what information they handed over to the government.

Brad Kurtzberg
http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2006/May...d987e03d1.html

http://www.elitestv.com/pub/2006/May...d987e03d1.html