U.S. Wiretaps Were of Limited Value, Officials Report

By ERIC LICHTBLAU and JAMES RISEN

While the Bush administration had defended its program of wiretapping without warrants as a vital tool that saved lives, a new government review released Friday said the program’s effectiveness in fighting terrorism was unclear.

The report, mandated by Congress last year and produced by the inspectors general of five federal agencies, found that other intelligence tools used in assessing security threats posed by terrorists provided more timely and detailed information.

Read full article »»

Unclassified Report on the President’s Surveillance Program