As you say, "without legal authorization" is a very large qualifier. So is "a single analyst." Gen. Hayden and the NYT's original 2005 report indicated the per

As you say, "without legal authorization" is a very large qualifier. So is "a single analyst." Gen. Hayden and the NYT's original 2005 report indicated the permission of two analysts -- a junior analyst and a "shift supervisor" -- was necessary under the NSA's pre-FAA program that has continued largely intact. https://www.fas.org/irp/news/2006/01/hayden012306.html https://www.fas.org/irp/news/2006/01/hayden012306.html http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/politics/01spy.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/politics/01spy.html?pagewa... So taking the statement at face value, if a shift supervisor blessed the initial collection, that would be fine without a court order. Or if a single analyst has received "legal authorization," that would be fine too. What the DNI's statement doesn't do is reveal what the procedures really are.