For those of you interested - here's Executive Order 12333...

[FormerRepublican]

...which covers NSA collection of information. Since I'd heard Gonzales mention this EO multiple times in the hearings yesterday, I looked it up to read it myself, then thought DU might be interested as well.

Here's some relevant parts:

"2.3 Collection of Information. Agencies within the Intelligence Community are authorized to collect, retain or disseminate information concerning United States persons only in accordance with procedures established by the head of the agency concerned and approved by the Attorney General, consistent with the authorities provided by Part 1 of this Order. Those procedures shall permit collection, retention and dissemination of the following types of information:

(a) Information that is publicly available or collected with the consent of the person concerned;

(b) Information constituting foreign intelligence or counterintelligence, including such information concerning corporations or other commercial organizations. Collection within the United States of foreign intelligence not otherwise obtainable shall be undertaken by the FBI or, when significant foreign intelligence is sought, by other authorized agencies of the Intelligence Community, provided that no foreign intelligence collection by such agencies may be undertaken for the purpose of acquiring information concerning the domestic activities of United States persons;

(c) Information obtained in the course of a lawful foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, international narcotics or international terrorism investigation;

(d) Information needed to protect the safety of any persons or organizations, including those who are targets, victims or hostages of international terrorist organizations;

(e) Information needed to protect foreign intelligence or counterintelligence sources or methods from unauthorized disclosure. Collection within the United States shall be undertaken by the FBI except that other agencies of the Intelligence Community may also collect such information concerning present or former employees, present or former intelligence agency contractors or their present or former employees, or applicants for any such employment or contracting;

(f) Information concerning persons who are reasonably believed to be potential sources or contacts for the purpose of determining their suitability or credibility;

(g) Information arising out of a lawful personnel, physical or communications security investigation;

(h) Information acquired by overhead reconnaissance not directed at specific United States persons;

(i) Incidentally obtained information that may indicate involvement in activities that may violate federal, state, local or foreign laws; and

(j) Information necessary for administrative purposes.

In addition, agencies within the Intelligence Community may disseminate information, other than information derived from signals intelligence, to each appropriate agency within the Intelligence Community for purposes of allowing the recipient agency to determine whether the information is relevant to its responsibilities and can be retained by it."

http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/eo12333.html#2.3

[bbinacan]

1. Damn,

sounds like a blank check book to me.

[berni_mccoy]

2. Item (j) and the last paragraph leave it wide open.

For "administrative purposes" could mean anything the "Administration" wants it to be (including spying on political adversaries).

[Toots]

3. Executive Order...IOW Bush* wrote his own law

Ain't gunna fly... Oh I guess it will because Bush* wrote his own law about Presidential Papers as well and no one said squat.

[cmd]

4. I missed the part about Al Qaeda.............

you know, the part that says this only pertains to incoming phone calls placed by Al Qaeda operatives. Has anyone else found that part?

[cmd]

5. kicking n/m