U.S. Wants Group’s AT&T; Suit Dismissed

The U.S. government has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by a San Francisco civil liberties group against AT&T; Corp., because it says the case could reveal military and state secrets.

The class-action suit by the group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, filed on behalf of AT&T; customers, accuses the company of unlawful collaboration with the National Security Agency in its surveillance program to intercept telephone and e-mail communications in the United States involving people allegedly linked to Al Qaeda and affiliated groups.

President Bush authorized the intercepts without court approval after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The government asked U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker to throw out the suit, saying it “cannot disclose any information that may be at issue in this case.”

A hearing is set for May 17.