The Shadow Factory

Book Cover -- The Shadow Factory, by James Bamford (2008)I remember reading the front page New York Times story from December 2005 that the Bush Administration had authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to engage in  domestic wiretapping to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the warrants federal law seemed to require, and being absolutely disgusted that the Bush Administration would be so dismissive of the Constitution and federal law.  (Disgusted, but not surprised.)

James Bamford’s The Shadow Factory (2008) tells the story of how this was (and probably still is) just the tip of the domestic spying iceberg.  As usual, Bamford’s work is well-researched and well-told.

Now that the Justice Department has resolved the matter of Thomas Drake (the NSA whistleblower who was charged with violating the Espionage Act for leaking documents to a reporter, but recently plead guilty to a single misdemeanor), perhaps now they can turn they prosecutorial attention to the damage that Bush, Cheney, Yoo, et al. did when they violated their oaths to uphold the Constitution.

Read a review from the NY Times.

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