Telecoms granted immunity in US wiretapping probe

In a major victory for the White House, the House of Representatives is poised today to grant legal immunity to phone companies that helped the Bush administration eavesdrop on US calls and emails after the 9/11 attacks. Democrats in Congress had previously refused to yield to White House demands that telecommunications companies such as AT&T and Verizon be spared from pending lawsuits related to their role in government wiretapping. A six-month window for existing wiretap orders expires in August, leaving Democrats leery of charges from the administration that Congress had failed to fulfill its national-security responsibilities. Democrats ultimately agreed to a deal that is almost certain to meet the White House's goal of immunising the telecom companies. "This bipartisan bill balances the needs of our intelligence... [read full story]