NSA To Finally Brief Lawmakers on Spy Program
The Bush administration will brief the full House and Senate Intelligence Committees in Congress on the National Security Agency’s controversial surveillance activities, reversing course after five months.
The sessions scheduled for Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill were to be led by the NSA’s director, Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, and were sure to focus on the ultra-secret agency’s efforts to monitor domestic calls when one party is overseas and suspected of terrorism, as well as the agency’s efforts to collect records on ordinary Americans’ calls.
The briefings were coming less than 24 hours ahead of the opening of confirmation hearings for Gen. Michael Hayden, nominated to head the CIA. He was set to appear Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee.
[Associated Press | May 17, 2006]