Thanks to NSA Leak: Terrorist Buying Large Quantities of Disposable Phones?

On December 16, 2005, the New York Times splashed the leak about National Security Agency monitoring of terrorist calls into the United States all over the front page.

ABC News reports that two days later, at a Wal-mart store in Midland, Texas (where President Bush grew up), six individuals of Middle Eastern origin attempted to buy about 60 disposable cell phones (tracfones) until store clerks became suspicious and notified the police.

Thirteen days later: "In one New Year's Eve transaction at a Target store in Hemet, Calif., 150 disposable tracfones were purchased. Suspicious store employees notified police, who called in the FBI, law enforcement sources said."

Cell phones such as these were used to detonate the bombs terrorists used in the Madrid train attacks in March 2004.

Democrats Expose US to Terrorist Danger

Democrats, who recently crowed about killing the Patriot Act, were also opposed to extending a provision for "roving wiretaps" which allows law enforcement to monitor individuals using any phone, not just wiretaps on specific phone numbers. Without that authority, the use of multiple disposable phones would make monitoring those calls nearly impossible. Law enforcement would have to go back to a court and get a new warrant every time a suspected terrorist grabbed another phone out of the bag.

Combine Democrat opposition to extending the Patriot Act with the leak describing the NSA program to monitor terrorist calls into the United States and you find Americans are at greater risk for terrorist attack.

Is Another Attack Imminent? Flopping Aces has a troubling new report.