Obama Backs Extending Patriot Act Spy Provisions

[Kevin and 10]

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09/o...spy-provisions/

The Obama administration has told Congress it supports renewing three provisions of the Patriot Act due to expire at year’s end, measures making it easier for the government to spy within the United States.

In a letter to Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Justice Department said the administration might consider “modifications” to the act in order to protect civil liberties.

“The administration is willing to consider such ideas, provided that they do not undermine the effectiveness of these important authorities,” Ronald Weich, assistant attorney general, wrote to Leahy, (.pdf) whose committee is expected to consider renewing the three expiring Patriot Act provisions next week. The government disclosed the letter Tuesday.

It should come as no surprise that President Barack Obama supports renewing the provisions, which were part of the Patriot Act approved six weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

As an Illinois senator in 2008, he voted to allow the warrantless monitoring of Americans’ electronic communications if they are communicating overseas with somebody the government believes is linked to terrorism. That legislative package, which President George W. Bush signed, also immunized the nation’s telecommunication companies from lawsuits charging them with being complicit with the Bush administration’s warrantless, wiretapping program. That program was also adopted in the wake of Sept. 11.

These are the three provisions due to expire:

*A secret court, known as the FISA court, may grant “roving wiretaps” without the government identifying the target. Generally, the authorities must assert that the target is an agent of a foreign power and/or a suspected terrorist. The government said Tuesday that 22 such warrants — which allow the monitoring of any communication device — have been granted annually.

*The FISA court may grant warrants for “business records,” from banking to library to medical records. Generally, the government must assert that the records are relevant to foreign intelligence gathering and/or a terrorism investigation. The government said Tuesday that 220 of these warrants had been granted between 2004 and 2007. It said 2004 was the first year those powers were used.

*A so-called “lone wolf” provision, enacted in 2004, allows FISA court warrants for the electronic monitoring of an individual even without showing that the person is an agent of a foreign power or a suspected terrorist. The government said Tuesday it has never invoked that provision, but said it wants to keep the authority to do so.

“The basic idea behind the authority was to cover situations in which information linking the target of an investigation to an international group was absent or insufficient, although the target’s engagement in ‘international terrorism’ was sufficiently established,” Weich wrote.

The American Civil Liberties opposes renewing all three provisions, especially the lone wolf measure.

Michelle Richardson, the ACLU’s legislative counsel, said in a telephone interview, “The justification for FISA and these lower standards and letting it operate in secret was all about terrorist groups and foreign governments, that they posed a unique threat other than the normal criminal element. This lone wolf provision undercuts that justification.”

The committee hearing is set for 10 a.m. Sept. 23 and will be webcast live.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

He's infringing on liberty. NO BLOOD FOR OBAMA'S OIL!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Well its certainly disappointing for anyone who expected a conclusive break with the policies of the Bush administration. This isn't entirely unexpected given the Obama administrations use of executive privilege at the start of the year to evade inquiries into the legal disposition of Guantanamo detainees.

[Joseph & Ana 0]

There's really not too much of a difference between Obama and Bush. I think the major difference is the push for U-care. Other than that, not much has changed.

[Ban Hammer 13,641]

He's infringing on liberty. NO BLOOD FOR OBAMA'S OIL!

[spookyturtle 9,466]

There's really not too much of a difference between Obama and Bush. I think the major difference is the push for U-care. Other than that, not much has changed.

Obama has more in the brain department.

[natty bumppo 297]

There's really not too much of a difference between Obama and Bush. I think the major difference is the push for U-care. Other than that, not much has changed.

Obama has more in the brain department.

but is it useful material?

[HAL 9000 96]

Not surprised but not pleased with this.

[Kevin and 10]

Too bad people only see US politics through their red or blue colored glasses. If they would take them off you would see that both parties are are the same color.

[k.loveh 0]

Too bad people only see US politics through their red or blue colored glasses. If they would take them off you would see that both parties are are the same color.

So it seems and I'm one that agrees.

Edited September 19, 2009 by k.loveh

[k.loveh 0]

Well its certainly disappointing for anyone who expected a conclusive break with the policies of the Bush administration. This isn't entirely unexpected given the Obama administrations use of executive privilege at the start of the year to evade inquiries into the legal disposition of Guantanamo detainees.

I watched this last night and glad I did.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7886780711843120756#

[Heracles 417]

I watched this last night and glad I did.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7886780711843120756#

People need to get over these ridiculous conspiracy theories.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

I watched this last night and glad I did.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7886780711843120756#

People need to get over these ridiculous conspiracy theories.

Amen.

[HYENA 4]

There's really not too much of a difference between Obama and Bush. I think the major difference is the push for U-care. Other than that, not much has changed.

Same guy different party name. They all need to be at the bottom of a lake deciding how to get air. Follow the money and see what they're pushing. They're all corrupt self serving country dismantlers. Seriously, look how the finances of thsi country have suffered at the hands of personal gain for these pricks!

[NickD 203]

Under the old APC, couldn't even add my wife's name to my banks accounts until she got her EAD and an SS card from that. Really crazy, and can guarantee you, I did not have 25 million bucks in my account. To further cause confusion, the USA encourages foreign investors. Even brought a letter from my bank to the interview explaining why they couldn't add my wife to my accounts, IO didn't even want to see it, she understood.

Regarding medical privacy, with my insurance claim against that idiot that hit me, all my medical records since the day I was born became part of public records. My life was certainly made public to the USCIS, who cares about privacy. Anything on the internet is essentially public information, it's one big party line like the old telephones, really don't give a damn if they want to monitor it if it saves another 9/11. But that wasn't the problem, FBI already knew what was going on with a bunch of Arabs taking flying lessons here legally, but not concerned about how to land a plane. Real crime is, they didn't do anything about it.

Airlines are a bad joke with over 5,000 miles of unprotected borders and coastlines, God I hate the airlines and feel the terrorists feel the same way. But the ones that did that nasty thing, were all here legally and wouldn't have been stopped anyway. Crazy.