Posted on 27-5-2003
Neo-Freedom
LA Times, Sunday 25 May 2003
When it passed the USA Patriot Act in October 2001, giving law
enforcement agents sweeping new powers, Congress unleashed a
spying free-for-all that shows no sign of abating. Pentagon
analysts are even trying to figure out if they can nab terrorists
by watching how people walk "gait recognition," it's
called.
Now pushing for even broader authority, the Bush administration's
operating principle seems to be if a lot of power is good, a
lot more would be better.
Here is what's on the table now:
- " "Patriot Act II," a hush-hush draft that would
give the Justice Department more power to snoop and more leverage over
suspects. This measure, formally known as the Domestic Security
Enhancement Act of 2003, seeks to free the FBI from requirements that it
get a judge's OK before prying into a person's phone, bank or credit
records. It would expand government power to make secret arrests, like
those of hundreds of people, mostly Middle Eastern nationals, after Sept.
11, 2001. The Justice Department largely refused to reveal the identities
of those suspects, where they were detained or the reasons for their
arrest. The draft measure would also allow the attorney general to strip
Americans of their citizenship in some cases for donating to what they
may have thought were legitimate nonprofit groups.
- Although the measure doesn't officially exist, a copy was leaked this
year. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft has declined to brief Congress on his
proposals.
- " The CIA and the military are asking for authority to
peruse phone records, credit card records and e-mail logs of people in
the U.S. These agencies can ask the FBI for much of this, but the Bush
administration believes that giving the CIA and the Pentagon direct
authority would be more efficient. It would also mark an unprecedented
expansion in the mission of the CIA and the military. Senate Democrats
struck this program from a larger bill but it probably will return.
- " The Defense Department wants permission from Congress to
use a new high-powered computer system, costing billions to create, to
paw through the private records of millions of Americans in search of
patterns that might might lead to a terrorist. The architects of this
creepy Terrorism Information Awareness initiative (previously Total
Information Awareness) want access to health-care files, rental car
receipts, employment and school records, credit histories, e-mail traffic
and more.
Set against the broad Patriot Act powers already in place and the
administration's continued refusal to release the House-Senate
investigation into the 2001 terrorist attacks, these proposals are
assaults on the Constitution.
Americans understand the need to temporarily relinquish some liberties in
light of terrorist threats. But so far, neither the president nor
Ashcroft has identified what specific intelligence weak spots remain and
why the prosecutorial tools they have aren't enough. Until Congress hears
compelling arguments, its answer should be no
|