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News :: Civil & Human Rights

US appeals court throws out ruling against eavesdropping program

A US appeals court on Friday struck down a lower court's order against the US government's domestic eavesdropping program, launched in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, said the plaintiffs should not have won an injunction against the National Security Agency's surveillance program because they failed to show that they were personally affected by it.

The two judges ruling against the plaintiffs did not rule, however, on the legality of the controversial program.

"Because we cannot find that any of the plaintiffs have standing for any of their claims, we must vacate the district court's order and remand for dismissal of the entire action," the appeals court wrote.

The surveillance program allowed the NSA to eavesdrop on e-mails and telephone conversations between the United States and terror suspects abroad without seeking a warrant.

In August 2006, a district court judge in Chicago imposed an injunction against the program, arguing that President George W. Bush had overstepped his authority.

Her ruling was suspended while it was under appeal.

Lawyers, journalists and professors had argued that their communications risked being eavesdropped on because they are in frequent contact with people in the Middle East.

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