Lawsuit claims NSA illegally wiretapped attorneys

[kpete]

Feb 28, 2:20 PM EST

Lawsuit claims NSA illegally wiretapped attorneys

By WILLIAM McCALL
Associated Press Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A lawsuit filed Tuesday asked a federal court to shut down electronic surveillance by the National Security Agency, based on claims the NSA illegally wiretapped conversations between the director of an Islamic charity and two of the charity's attorneys.

A chapter of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, a defunct Saudi Arabian charity, was established in Ashland in 1997 as a prayer house that also distributed Islamic literature. The chapter was indicted in February 2004 on tax charges alleging it helped launder $150,000 in donations to help al-Qaida fighters in Chechnya in 2000.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Portland alleges the NSA illegally wiretapped electronic communications between the chapter and Wendell Belew and Asim Ghafoor, both attorneys in Washington, D.C.

The complaint, which also names President Bush as a defendant, seeks "an order that would require defendants and their agents to halt an illegal and unconstitutional program of electronic surveillance of United States citizens and entities."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OR_NSA_WIRETAPPING_SUIT_OROL-?SITE=ORMED&SECTION=US

[babylonsister]

1. Lawsuits will get domestic spying the attention it deserves imo, so

I hope they're all successful!

[Mandate My Ass]

2. Exactly

I would bet dollars to donut holes if the American people saw who were being targeted for surveillance it wouldn't be anybody who had ties to al quada but a vast majority of them would be political opponents of either the current administration, the war in iraq, or likely both.

[insanity]

3. I knew the person in question.

I used to go to Ashland High School and have visted the foundation many times. I knew the owner's son. The owner of the chapter was also my families landscaper, and I have visted with him on a few occasions. This was before they desided to pack up and run because the government was trying to bring them down. His full name is Pete Seda, and you should google some of his work.
Let me say a few words about Pete Seda:
He advocated peace, and even wrote a very popular pamphlet on Islam that explains why jihad is a perversion of Islam. He was a pacifist, who marched in all the anti-war protests (I know this because I saw him there). I know he never supported terrorism knowingly. Please help him and his lawyers make this fight big news, bring this to the public attention, because it is not fair that such a wonderful man has to live in exile to protect his son.
Sorry if this is not very articulate, its just very personal to me.

[stop the bleeding]

4. thank you for the added input

K&R!

[babylonsister]

5. I wish you'd post your comments in it's own thread and link

to the original story. I think the more we all are aware, the better off we are.