The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) may have been involved in the hijacking of an Air France plane in 1976 by Palestinian terrorists, according to newly declassified British government documents released Friday.

Some 100 passengers were held by hijackers at Entebbe airport in Uganda during an eight-day ordeal that concluded when General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal) troops stormed the building where the captives were held.

The U.S. government now outsources a vast portion of its spying operations to private firms – with zero public accountability.

More than five years into the global “war on terror,” spying has become one of the fastest-growing private industries in the United States. The federal government relies more than ever on outsourcing for some of its most sensitive work, though it has kept details about its use of private contractors a closely guarded secret.

The CIA has received secret presidential approval to mount a covert “black” operation to destabilize the Iranian government…that puts into motion a CIA plan that reportedly includes a coordinated campaign of propaganda, disinformation and manipulation of Iran’s currency and international financial transactions.

Current and former intelligence officials say the approval of the covert action means the Bush administration, for the time being, has decided not to pursue a military option against Iran.

“Vice President Cheney helped to lead the side favoring a military strike, but I think they have come to the conclusion that a military strike has more downsides than upsides.”

Senior U.S. administration officials have told the U.S. Congress that they could not promise that the Bush administration would fulfill its January pledge to continue to seek warrants from a secret court for a domestic wiretapping program.

Rather, they argued that the president had the constitutional authority to decide for himself whether to conduct surveillance without warrants.

On Thursday, NBC’s Today Show explored whether the confessions of alleged 9/11 “mastermind” Khalid Sheikh Mohammed can be trusted, since he claimed to have been tortured after being detained.

“Let’s talk about the issue of torture,” NBC’s Matt Lauer said. “He says in his statement that he didn’t make this statement under duress or pressure, but he does also say that he was tortured by the CIA after his capture.”