FISC rules against releasing information

NEW YORK, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has closed the door on making information public about the Bush administration's secret wiretapping program.

FISC officials announced Tuesday that it will not make public orders and legal papers pertaining to the scope of the government's authority to engage in the secret wiretapping program, the American Civil Liberties Union reported.

"The decision is disappointing, both in its reasoning and its result," Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU national security project, said in a statement. "A federal court's interpretation of federal law should not be kept secret from the American public. The Bush administration is seeking expanded surveillance powers from Congress because of the rulings issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court earlier this year. Under this decision, those rulings may remain secret forever."

Officials say the announcement Tuesday is the first time FISC has ruled on a substantive motion made by any party other than the government. FISC has only issued an opinion publicly three times.

"The ACLU filed a request for the documents with the FISC in August following passage of the Protect America Act, a law that vastly expands the Bush administration's authority to conduct warrantless wiretapping of Americans' international phone calls and e-mails," the release said.