May 15, 2006 10:33 AM
A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we (Brian Ross and Richard Esposito) call in an effort to root out confidential sources.
"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.
ABC News does not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.
Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.
One former official was asked to sign a document stating he was not a confidential source for New York Times reporter James Risen.
Our reports on the CIA's secret prisons in Romania and Poland were known to have upset CIA officials. The CIA asked for an FBI investigation of leaks of classified information following those reports.
People questioned by the FBI about leaks of intelligence information say the CIA was also disturbed by ABC News reports that revealed the use of CIA predator missiles inside Pakistan.
Under Bush Administration guidelines, it is not considered illegal for the government to keep track of numbers dialed by phone customers.
The official who warned ABC News said there was no indication our phones were being tapped so the content of the conversation could be recorded.
A pattern of phone calls from a reporter, however, could provide valuable clues for leak investigators.
--------
This is exactly what I thought of the moment I heard of illegal wiretapping! Not the intrusion upon unsuspecting and innocent Americans (not that we shouldn't be worried about that as well) but listening in or documenting who the media talk with and about. The media is the only establishment (besides congress) who can destroy a president. And that is the job of the media -- to keep the president and his crew in check. The president should fear the media, not the other way around.
If you thought that this NSA program was logical and legal, how do you feel knowing that the govt is trying to control the one entity that should always be allowed to uncover the truth -- no matter how damaging it could prove to the administration?
And even if you disagreed with the NSA program from the get go, does this knowledge bring about any extra concern?
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
You beat me to it by 2 minutes. Yes it scares the crap out of me. Nothing but arrogant pricks. I really hope the media fights back on this one. It got Nixon out.
It's strange how the media uses its power only in certain circumstances.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/05/fbi_acknowledge.html Thought you might like that link.
I find it very disconcerting that the govt feels it has the right to seek out those who are "leaking" sensitive information. For example, the info being leaked (1) has no real bearing on military strategy (2) won't harm the govt's running of the war in Iraq and (3) makes the administration look like bullies! I think the real reason they are so adament on finding the leak is to cover their own ass. The FBI are more concerned about what POTUS and his cronies think than the fact that leaks happen for a reason.
This time the reason is -- to deny our govt the ability to infringe on our rights as people! It is the job of the press to seek out this information and bring to justice those who wish to spy on Americans or torture "terrorist" detainees.