- Making News: NSA Collecting Data from Telecommunications Companies
USA Today reported this morning that the National Security Agency is compiling the world's biggest database, including every telephone call ever made in the United States. Within hours of publication, and without denying the story, President Bush issued a statement that everything is being done within the law, adding that leaks about intelligence strategies hurt the government's ability to protect Americans. Shane Harris reports on national security for the National Journal. - Reporter's Notebook: Israel Releases Previously Withheld Funds to Palestinians
Israel collects $55 million a month in taxes and customs revenues that are supposed to go to the Palestinian Authority, money withheld since Hamas won the latest election. Now it appears that Israel will, like the "Quartet"--made up of the US, Europe, the UN and Russia--bypass the Hamas-led government and release funds to the Palestinian people. Ilene Prusher is Jerusalem Bureau Chief for the Christian Science Monitor.
President Bush on NSA surveillance program
USA Today on NSA's collection of a massive database
Senator Specter on NSA surveillance database, Bloomberg on
National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan
Kaplan's article, "Spies among US"
Quartet statement on Middle East
Prusher's article on Quartet's decision to bypass Hamas and release international aid