Davboz, you have no idea what your talking about. First of all, its what is illegal is wiretaping without a warrant, inside the United States against American citizens. The FBI and other police and inetlligence services get hundres if not thousands of such warrants a day. As for cell phone communications they are always local, because they rely on local transmitions towers, hence the name "cell" phone. The U.S. specifically the USAF has loads of assets (satellites and aircraft) to deal with such communications (the area is called ELINT ). Even if it went through some American hub, both ends of it would still be in Iraq (sender and receiver) therefore no need to get a warrant in the U.S. and...

Davboz, you have no idea what your talking about. First of all, its what is illegal is wiretaping without a warrant, inside the United States against American citizens. The FBI and other police and inetlligence services get hundres if not thousands of such warrants a day. As for cell phone communications they are always local, because they rely on local transmitions towers, hence the name "cell" phone. The U.S. specifically the USAF has loads of assets (satellites and aircraft) to deal with such communications (the area is called ELINT ). Even if it went through some American hub, both ends of it would still be in Iraq (sender and receiver) therefore no need to get a warrant in the U.S. and they would still have th 72 hours window to do it if it ever became necessary.

As for:

Yes, but evidence gathered without the warrant in place is useless later, is it not?

Yes, if a) your going to bring it to court (something this adminstration is loath to do anyway), b) if you need a warrant in the first place. Foreign transmitions, are not covered by FISA or teh Constitution. This is just twisting a tragic event in a foreign country to futher erode teh Constitution (if not outright destroy it).