Top Intelligence Official De-Classifies Surveillance Program Details

America's top intelligence official has given a Texas newspaper new information about court-approved wiretaps of terrorist suspects, but he left it up to the El Paso Times to decide how much to reveal in the interests of national security. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell told the Times that fewer than 100 people in the United State are subject to court-approved wiretaps. He said agents are listening to "thousands" of people overseas. He also confirmed that telecommunications companies are assisting in surveillance for which courts are not asked for warrants. Steven Aftergood is the director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists.