Bush Asks Congress To Expand Surveillance

Seeks To "Modernize" Wiretapping To Match New Technologies; Critics Warn Of Unchecked Privacy Invasion

(CBS/AP)  In the midst of a festering public scandal surrounding the administration's secret wiretapping program and the attorney general's efforts to have it extended, President George W. Bush is calling on Congress to expand the law governing the issuance of warrants to intelligence agencies for surveillance.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, provides a legal foundation that allows information about terrorists' communications to be collected without violating civil liberties.

President George W. Bush wants Congress to rewrite the law to incorporate new advances in technology which, he says, are not covered by the FISA.

"This law is badly out-of-date," Mr. Bush said Saturday in his weekly radio address.

Mr. Bush noted that terrorists now use disposable cell phones and the Internet to communicate, recruit operatives and plan attacks; such tools were not available when FISA was passed nearly 30 years ago. (However, as he signed the Patriot Act on October 26, 2001, the president stated that existing law "written in the era of rotary telephones" was now updated to allow surveillance "of all communications used by terrorists, including e-mails, the Internet, and cell phones.")

He also cited a recently released intelligence estimate that concluded al Qaeda is using its growing strength in the Middle East to plot attacks on U.S. soil.

"Our intelligence community warns that under the current statute, we are missing a significant amount of foreign intelligence that we should be collecting to protect our country," Bush said. "Congress needs to act immediately to pass this bill, so that our national security professionals can close intelligence gaps and provide critical warning time for our country."

The 1978 law set up a court that meets in secret to review applications from the FBI, the National Security Agency and other agencies for warrants to wiretap or search the homes of people in the United States in terrorist or espionage cases.

Shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Bush authorized the NSA to spy on calls between people in the U.S. and suspected terrorists abroad without FISA court warrants. The administration said it needed to act more quickly than the court could issue warrants; it also said the president had inherent authority to order warrantless domestic spying in spite of Constitutional protections.

After the program became public and was challenged in court, Mr. Bush put it under FISA court supervision this year.

The national intelligence director, in a letter Wednesday to the House intelligence committee, stressed the need to be able to collect intelligence about foreign terrorists overseas. Mike McConnell said intelligence agencies should be able to do that without requirements imposed by an "out-of-date" law.

"Simply put, in a significant number of cases, we are in the unfortunate position of having to obtain court orders to effectively collect foreign intelligence about foreign targets located overseas," he wrote the committee chairman, Rep. Silvestre Reyes.

Democrats want to ensure that any changes do not give the executive branch unfettered surveillance powers.

Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of the American Civil Liberties Union, contends the White House is asking for more power to conduct warrantless domestic and international surveillance.

"The administration claims the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act must be 'modernized,'" she said. "The reality is, their proposal would gut FISA.

"The President claims that they need to expand FISA based on new technology — they are wrong," said Fredrickson. "FISA was written to be technology-neutral. There is absolutely no new technology that cannot be intercepted with a warrant under FISA. None."

Frederickson also says that hidden within the bill is immunity from both criminal prosecution and civil liability for telecommunication companies who participate in the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program, which would be retroactive.

This could affect a lawsuit before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in which the Electronic Frontier Foundation is suing AT&T for violating the rights of its customers by assisting the NSA with spying. The government has sought to have the suit dismissed on the grounds that state secrets would be exposed in a trial.

"It takes an enormous amount of hubris to ask for more power on the heels of revelations that the President tried to go around his own attorney general on his NSA domestic electronic eavesdropping program," Frederickson said. "The already-shaky legal ground on which this domestic spying program stood is crumbling beneath those who defend it."

The ACLU urged lawmakers to find out the full extent of current intelligence gathering under FISA before making changes.

"The only thing more outrageous than the administration's call for even more unfettered power is a Congress that would consider giving it to them," Frederickson said.

[tbweb]

Gee, George shows a change of heart and wants to follow "that piece of paper" as he called it.
To you and me is called Constitution.

Posted by nikosk1 at 11:32 AM : Jul 31, 2007,,,

The U.S. Constitution only has value and serves a purpose when President Bush wants to claim it's what allows him to do what he needs to do, the Congress and the American people are not allowed to use it, only him! Like a little kid hogging a toy and won't let anyone else play with it!

[long_rider]

Congress should take their time, read this document carefully, and take nothing for granted.

Everything the chimp asks for, or supports, has to be suspect. One only has to reflect upon the chimps honesty, and perversion of the laws.

The chimp will lie while he smiles at you, he has no honor what so ever.

Don't give any more of our rights away on the say-so of a much despised, and untrusted, president.

[muzzlebush]

It always amazes me when people treat the Constitution like some sort of smorgasbord having no problem emasculating the First Amendment while whining about anything that hints at the Second.

[randalds]

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) has been experimenting with a drone called SkySeer, which it intends to put into service later this month.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk...
Posted by coffeehead at 06:23 AM : Jul 30, 2007

I don't know if they'd want to fly them over some parts of town. Since a lot of gang bangers have been joining the service for war training they've become pretty good shots. And that's to say nothing of all of us other vets who resent the idea of someone peeking into our backyard while nude hot-tubbing with the neighbors. Some of us haven't lost our shooting eye either.

[randalds]

And the idiots who use it, should be asked if they would agree to have 24 hour surviellance cameras installed in their bedrooms, to monitor their s*ex lives, to ensure that they and their spouses are not engaged in any illegal activity, like the use of p*rostitutes or child p*ornography as stimulants.

Posted by Iceman_1960 at 04:08 AM : Jul 30, 2007

Funny how quickly they change their tunes when it's their bedrooms, phone calls and emails being listened into. they think it'll only happen to "the enemy" and forget that Bush says he can declare any American citizen to be "The enemy" and do whatever he likes to them. Here's hoping they get pick up in the middle of the night and hauled off to Gitmo for some water-boarding.

[tucano2]

As the commander at Bastone told the Nazi attackers, "Nuts", that's what Congress ought to tell "Daddy Warbucks" Bush

[coffeehead-2009]

And the idiots who use it, should be asked if they would agree to have 24 hour surviellance cameras installed in their bedrooms, to monitor their s*ex lives, to ensure that they and their spouses are not engaged in any illegal activity, like the use of p*rostitutes or child p*ornography as stimulants.

XXXXX

Sadly it's already here - and being used rampantly in Britian to monitor every aspect of their lives. Drones - small enough to enter homes and private properties. Powerful enough to see into your living rooms from miles away.
Moore was not far off with the Farenheit thing - they need to remake the movie. You never would have thought that our leadership would turn the meaning of America fictional.


Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drone aircraft, are about to be launched for the first time by the police in Los Angeles.

UAVs have long been used by the military in war zones such as Iraq or Afghanistan. But the technology has been adapted for domestic use and could revolutionise the way law enforcement agencies carry out surveillance and rescue operations.

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) has been experimenting with a drone called SkySeer, which it intends to put into service later this month.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk...

[iceman_1960]

"This is a variation of the idiotic idea that "If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to worry about" which is one of the single most unAmerican concepts ever."
- Posted by RandalDS at 10:06 PM : Jul 29, 2007

And the idiots who use it, should be asked if they would agree to have 24 hour surviellance cameras installed in their bedrooms, to monitor their s*ex lives, to ensure that they and their spouses are not engaged in any illegal activity, like the use of p*rostitutes or child p*ornography as stimulants.

[red164]

Clear Crime, Bogus Defense

It has never been shown that the warrantless spying on Americans was necessary to protect this country from terrorists. It hasn%u2019t been shown that he couldn%u2019t have done everything necessary and obeyed the law. It hasn%u2019t been shown that his illegal spying actually accomplished anything to defend the nation.

Even worse, no one outside the executive branch even knows how much defending the nation has to do with this presidential usurpation of powers. No one knows just whom this administration has been spying on, and why. Given what else we know of how they%u2019ve dealt with critics, how can we know for sure that all this spying hasn%u2019t included targets for other, illegitimate purposes%u2014like going after their domestic opponents? Yet the administration gives no evidence demanding simply, %u201CTrust us.%u201D

We really don%u2019t know why they were willing to break the law in order to avoid telling a judge what they were up to.

http://www.nonesoblind.org/blog/?p=1
56

[red164]

Clear Crime, Bogus Defense

It has never been shown that the warrantless spying on Americans was necessary to protect this country from terrorists. It hasn%u2019t been shown that he couldn%u2019t have done everything necessary and obeyed the law. It hasn%u2019t been shown that his illegal spying actually accomplished anything to defend the nation.

Even worse, no one outside the executive branch even knows how much defending the nation has to do with this presidential usurpation of powers. No one knows just whom this administration has been spying on, and why. Given what else we know of how they%u2019ve dealt with critics, how can we know for sure that all this spying hasn%u2019t included targets for other, illegitimate purposes%u2014like going after their domestic opponents? Yet the administration gives no evidence%u2013 demanding simply, %u201CTrust us.%u201D

We really don%u2019t know why they were willing to break the law in order to avoid telling a judge what they were up to.

http://www.nonesoblind.org/blog/?p=156

[jw218389]

Is he Fricken Kidding??

What oil company or psuedo-military Cheney corporation is he trying to fund with this UNCONSTITUTIONAL pork project????

[randalds]

Congress needs to improve surveillance of the the White House and the rest of the Executive Branch.

Demolishing the obstacles recently installed to block oversight should be the first priority.

Posted by CBS_Oliver at 11:06 PM : Jul 29, 2007

Amen. I want cameras in the bedrooms at the White House and Camp David, so I can personally be sure there is no truth to the rumors that Condi Rice is Bush's mistress. After all, if they have nothing to then they shouldn't object, right? Besides I can even make a case that it concerns national security because Bush and/or Condi may be blackmailed into revealing information to terrorists to keep the affair covered up. this case is easily just as strong (and in fact much stronger) as all of the bullsh*it reasons they come up with!

[toldyouso21]

Bush ignores Congressional oversight and authority and only sees them as check writers. Give him NOTHING he wants. Since he is a force of 1 and he and his corrupt DOJ think they can do whatever they please. Then please do it with no taxpayer money and no passing of Bush legacies or legislation.

If this is a test of wills--so be it. Congress should tell Bush they can no longer fund his war or sanction his illegal programs--tell him it is Congressional Privilege to deny it--tell him it is for the sake of the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions--then revoke the immunity to war crimes and FISA immunity that he got in 2006 from Congress, and watch his petulant azz sweat.

[bennyblack1]

CBS Oliver;
yeah. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

[lars008-2009]

NOW CAN WE KILL THEM???
If they can kill us, we can kill them

Qaeda warns of attacks 'worse than 9/11'
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070530102648.wuwa6k96&show_article=1

Hizbullah Deputy Sec-Gen Sheikh Naim Qassem: We Have Jurisprudent Permission to Carry Out 'Martyrdom' Operations, Fire Missiles on Israeli Civilians From Ayatollah Khomeini
http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD154907

Switching Sides: Inside The Enemy Camp

But then in 2000, well before his arrest, something happened which would make Abas question everything he believed in: a fatwa, a religious edict, was issued by Osama bin Laden.

"It should be understood that killing Americans and Jews anywhere found are the highest act of worship and the highest form of good deeds in the eyes of Allah," Simon quotes bin Laden.

Abas and his fellow commanders were ordered to read the fatwa to their men and make sure they carried it out. The others obeyed, but Abas refused. It was his moment of truth. He firmly believed that jihad was to be fought only on the battlefield in defense of Islam; he had always been taught that the killing of civilians had nothing to do with holy war and that it was forbidden.

The fatwa justified killing non-Muslim civilians everywhere.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/04/60minutes/main2761108.shtml?source=RSSattr=60Minutes_2761108
American Al Qaeda Member Threatens Attack
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/29/terror/main2865282.shtml

[cbs_oliver]

National security needs something else.

Congress needs to improve surveillance of the the White House and the rest of the Executive Branch.

Demolishing the obstacles recently installed to block oversight should be the first priority.

[lars008-2009]

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry

USA's PLEDGE 2 THE WORLD GIVEN BY JFK!!

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty." - John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961

"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." - John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 1961

One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half. Winston Churchill

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." Albert Einstein

Edmund Burke: All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing.

[randalds]

Yeah, sure we blow it, alot. But if our mistakes are simple mistakes, and they aren't of a national security issue, then, really you don't have anything to worry about. But if you're a cop and frequent that prostitute on a regular basis, well, that's not something you would want seen, would you?
Posted by bennyblack1 at 10:00 PM : Jul 29, 2007

This is a variation of the idiotic idea that "If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to worry about" which is one of the single most unAmerican concepts ever. It does not matter if an American does or does not have something to hide! Without legal just or probable cause what any American is doing is none of the governments fu*cking business!!! And never will be! TYHAT is the freedom most of us who served defended! Not this "nothing to hide" bullsh*it! MY life is NONE of there da*mn business!

[bennyblack1]

And lastdance2:
Before you go shooting first and asking questions later, you didn't catch the satelite footage on you last week, did you? Who the heck was that one guy, and what were you doing with HER?

[bennyblack1]

There is an old proverb that goes something like this:

"Live your life as if it were going to be broadcast on national TV."

Yeah, sure we blow it, alot. But if our mistakes are simple mistakes, and they aren't of a national security issue, then, really you don't have anything to worry about. But if you're a cop and frequent that prostitute on a regular basis, well, that's not something you would want seen, would you?