From CNN, 1/6/05:
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/06/nsa.amanpour/
NSA: Amanpour, other CNN reporters not targeted for surveillance
From David Ensor
CNN Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON (CNN) --
A senior U.S. intelligence official told CNN on Thursday that the
National Security Agency did not target CNN's chief international
correspondent Christiane Amanpour or any other CNN journalist for
surveillance.
NBC raised the question in an interview with The New York Times
reporter James Risen, asking him whether he knew anything about
possible surveillance of Amanpour by the NSA.
Risen, author of a new book, "State of War: the Secret History of the
CIA and the Bush Administration," said he had not heard anything about
it.
NBC posted a transcript of the interview on the MSNBC.com Web site
Wednesday, then quickly removed the page.
In a statement posted on the industry weblog TVNewser, the network
said the transcript was "released prematurely," and that reporting
would continue.
The interview was not broadcast on any NBC news program, the network
said.
The senior official said that from time to time NSA surveillance
overseas "inadvertently" acquires recordings or copies of
communications involving Americans -- or what the government calls
"U.S. persons," which includes most U.S. residents and employees of
American companies.
By law, however, such materials are required to be erased or destroyed
immediately, the official said.
Intelligence officials rarely comment on who they may or may not have
collected information about, but because of all the speculation on
Internet blogs, the senior official agreed to look into the matter for
CNN.
Another official privately said he was "puzzled" by NBC's decision to
publish the raw transcript of the interview.
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One must wonder why NBC mentioned it in an interview and quickly
edited it out. Hmmmmmmmmmmm
Harry
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