Federal Judge rules NSA data legal ‘because 9/11’

Just one week after a federal judge ruled against the NSA, another federal judge ruled today in favor of the government and dismissed a case brought by the ACLU against NSA director, James Clapper. Judge William H. Pauley III’s reasoning is juvenile but no less chilling. He writes:

No doubt, the bulky telephony metadata collection program vacuums up information about virtually every telephone call to, from, or within the United States. (But) As the September 11th attacks demonstrate, the cost of missing such a thread can be horrific. Technology allowed Al Qaeda to operate decentralized and plot international terrorist attacks remotely. The bulky telephone metadata collection program represents the Government’s counter-punch: connecting fragmented and fleeting communications to re-construct and eliminate al-Qaeda’s terror network.

This second (and opposite) ruling increases the likelihood that the challenges will end up before the Supreme Court.

Fun fact: Richard Leon, the D.C. judge who declared the program unconstitutional, was appointed by George W. Bush (and nominated the day before 9/11). William Pauley, the New York judge who upheld the program, was appointed by Clinton.

Judge William Pauley opens his ruling with the mantra of all big police state promoters. ‘9/11 changes and justifies everything.’ Read the ruling:

Merry Christmas! The struggle for freedom continues…