SCRIPT: Exclusive: NSA Insider Speaks Out 1/10/06
Jan. 10, 2006 — -- We're learning much more tonight about the government's secret program to eavesdrop on the U.S. It may have involved spying on millions of Americans, not just a few highly suspicious characters. That's according to the whistleblower, who speaks exclusively to ABC News tonight. A man who may now face a government investigation for his candor. ABC's Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross joins us now.
BRIAN ROSS, ABC NEWS
Blowing the whistle on alleged illegal acts inside the secret world of spies and satellites is a tricky act as 44-year-old Russ Tice is finding out. The former intelligence officer wants the Congress and the American public to know something is wrong, but if he gives away too much, he could be the one who ends up in prison.
RUSSELL TICE, FORMER NSA OFFICIAL
I feel like the, you know, the striptease artist, and I'm not really giving you the goods here, I'm just flashing leg and some arm and a little bit of cheek or something.
BRIAN ROSS
Russ Tice spent 20 years working in the shadows, helping the United States spy on other people's conversations around the world.
RUSSELL TICE
Well, I specialized in what's called special access programs. These programs are very closely held. And only very few people have access to these programs.
BRIAN ROSS
So you worked with the most secret of the operations this country conducts?
RUSSELL TICE
That's correct.
BRIAN ROSS
Tice is now coming forward to allege wrongdoing in those secret programs, run by the Defense Department and the NSA in the post-9/11 efforts to go after terrorists.
RUSSELL TICE
The mentality was 'we need to get these guys and we're going to do whatever it takes to get them."
BRIAN ROSS
You have written to the United States Senate and said you're prepared to talk about what you call unlawful and unconstitutional acts conducted while you were an intelligence officer at the NSA.
RUSSELL TICE
That's correct.
BRIAN ROSS
What are you talking about?
RUSSELL TICE
Well, it involves these special access programs that are closely held. We call them black world programs and operations.
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