Deciphering the NSA's New Wiretapping Motivations
Ever since The New York Times revealed that a National Security Agency program was wiretapping U.S. citizens on an order from the president, experts around the country have been working to determine exactly what the secret program was.
The Rockefeller Letter
Read a copy of a 2003 letter from Sen. John Rockefeller, D-W.Va., expressing his concern over a briefing about government surveilance activities.
NSA Transition Document
This document is located at George Washington University's National Security Archive.
The primary mystery is why the government would need to go around the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Timothy Naftali, an expert in the history of intelligence and spying, searched the public record on the NSA for clues.
Related NPR Stories
Bush's Legal Basis for Domestic Spying Program Dec. 20, 2005
The NSA and Domestic Surveillance Dec. 19, 2005
Legality of Bush-Approved NSA Wiretaps Questioned Dec. 19, 2005
Surveillance and the Law Dec. 19, 2005
Keeping the NSA Spy Story a Secret Dec. 18, 2005
Understanding the NSA: Author James Bamford Dec. 16, 2005