Wednesday, September 24, 2003


Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore
4806 York Road
Baltimore, MD 21212

Lt. Gen. Michael V. Hayden, USAF
Director
National Security Agency

Dear Lt. General Hayden:

The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore is concerned about plans by the Justice Department to monitor and gather data about US citizens. The Pledge requests that the National Security Agency publicly announce its intention to refuse to assist Attorney General John Ashcroft where doing so conflicts with the agency's mission statement.

According to NSA's web page, the National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) is a cryptologic organization. The mission statement indicates that NSA is protecting US information systems and involved in the "production of foreign signals of intelligence information." It also states that NSA is intercepting and analyzing "foreign adversaries' communication signals..."

Elsewhere on the web page, it is claimed that NSA strictly follows "laws and regulations designed to preserve every American's privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution." Protecting the Constitution is also part of The Pledge's mission. The Pledge asserts that the Bush administration, with the presumed assistance of NSA, has violated the Constitution in innumerable ways.

For example, the US invaded the sovereign nation of Iraq before it had made any hostile act. This clearly violates the UN Charter. This is relevant because Article VI of the Constitution states international treaties are the "law of the land."

Further, the US has been employing space-based intelligence gathering to assist in its illegal bombing campaigns and strikes in Iraq. This is not "intercepting and analyzing foreign adversaries' communication signals." Rather it is a significant contribution to the immense devastation suffered by the Iraqi people, in violation of NSA's mission statement.

At this writing, John Ashcroft is campaigning for expanded powers that extend the USA PATRIOT Act. Patriot II, as it is often dubbed, has been leaked to the public. One of its provisions is the removal of citizenship from those whose affiliations are deemed illegal. This is in violation of the US Constitution.

So are the expanded surveillance and search and seizure powers being demanded by the Attorney General. They violate the Fourth Amendment, which NSA has declared it is defending.

The Pledge is also alarmed that the National Security Agency was eavesdropping on the diplomatic delegations from several United Nations Security Council nations [first reported March 2, 2003 in the London-based Observer]. This action tarnishes the reputation of the US by signaling its intentions to undermine international law by any means necessary.

To close, the Pledge finds many of NSA’s recent activities to be highly objectionable and uncivilized. Members of the Pledge would like to meet with you at a time of your convenience to discuss the direction that NSA is taking. The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore is requesting that NSA renounce past, present and future plans for illegal eavesdropping, announce it will not violate its mission statement and finally that it will uphold the US Constitution. Please call Max Obuszewski (at 410-323-7200) to arrange a meeting. Thank you.

Sincerely,


The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore