Telecommunications firms that aided government wiretapping efforts after 9/11 are being sued by civil liberties activists. As The Washington Post notes, the Bush administration is hoping to grant those phone companies retroactive immunity for their assistance. Here is what a bipartisan Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report had to say in October:

“Electronic communication service providers play an important role in assisting intelligence officials in national security activities. Indeed, the intelligence community cannot obtain the intelligence it needs without assistance from these companies. Given the scope of the civil damages suits, and the current spotlight associated with providing any assistance to the intelligence community, the Committee was concerned that, without retroactive immunity, the private sector might be unwilling to cooperate with lawful Government requests in the future without unnecessary court involvement and protracted litigation. The possible reduction in intelligence that might result from this delay is simply unacceptable for the safety of our Nation.”