9/11 Excuse for Surveillance?

We have to have extensive wiretapping because of 9/11 right? At least that is an excuse that is often offered. Why then were telecoms being asked to give intelligence agencies access to phone lines prior to 9/11?

Other N.S.A. initiatives have stirred concerns among phone company workers. A lawsuit was filed in federal court in New Jersey challenging the agency’s wiretapping operations. It claims that in February 2001, just days before agency officials met with Qwest officials, the N.S.A. met with AT&T officials to discuss replicating a network center in Bedminster, N.J., to give the agency access to all the global phone and e-mail traffic that ran through it.

BTW, the New York Times has known about this since November 2004. Oh yeah, there's liberal media for you.

Hmmmmm, maybe Ron Paul is worth another look.