NSA call monitoring details revealed, blocks Justice Department investigation

USA Today has reported that the NSA has been collecting a database of call detail records from data provided by AT&T, Verizon, and BellSouth (no word on whether SBC or other ILECs and CLECs have participated). Qwest is noteworthy for having refused to participate in the program.

The collected CDRs include records of calls which both originate and terminate within the United States (i.e., completely domestic calls).

The NSA's goal was allegedly "'to create a database of every call ever made' within U.S. borders," which is out of scope for the NSA's mission.

Arlen Specter of the Senate Judiciary Committee says that the telcos will be questioned about their participation.

In other news today, the NSA managed to kill an investigation by the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility into whether Justice Department attorneys violated ethical rules with regard to the NSA's domestic spying. They did this by denying requested security clearances to OPR investigators.