(President) Bush launches campaign to get extension of anti-terror provisions

Yahoo! News ^ | 4/17/04 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AFP) -

President George W. Bush (news - web sites) launched a campaign to get an extension of controversial anti-terrorism legislation passed after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Insisting that the USA Patriot Act had helped prevent more terrorist attacks, Bush criticised members of Congress, who include Democratic presidential contender John Kerry (news - web sites), for threatening to block the renewal of parts of the legislation next year.

"Some politicians in Washington act as if the threat to America will also expire on that schedule," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

"Yet we have seen what the terrorists intend for us, in deadly attacks from Bali to Mombassa to Madrid."

He added: "To abandon the Patriot Act would deprive law enforcement and intelligence officers of needed tools in the war on terror, and demonstrate willful blindness to a continuing threat."

The act gave the US government new powers to use wiretaps, electronic surveillance and other information gathering. Opponents say it violates civil liberties.

Kerry, joined the bulk of senators in voting for the legislation after the attacks on New York and Washington.

But he has since turned against it saying in a recent speech that "Bush used the Patriot Act in a way that was never intended and for things that have nothing to do with terrorism."

Bush said that since the act was passed "terror cells" in six Ameriocan cities have been broken up and since September 11 more than 300 people have been charged with terrorist-related offences. More than half have been convicted or pleaded guilty.

The president said "law enforcement and intelligence personnel must be allowed to share more information, so that we can better pursue terrorists inside the United States."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites) have been criticised at the official commission looking into the attacks of for their lack of action before September 11.

But the president said "the Patriot Act tore down the artificial wall between the FBI (news - web sites) and CIA (news - web sites), and enhanced their ability to share the information needed to hunt terrorists."

And he insisted that the act defends the United States "in a way that is fully consistent with constitutional protections."

The legislation has faced political and some judicial opposition however.

More than 100 cities and one state have passed resolutions condemning the act because of the increased powers. The California town of Arcata even passed a local law making it an offence to cooperate with the Patriot Act.

In January, a US court struck down part of the law which banned giving "expert advice or assistance" to terrorist groups.

Judge Audrey Collins ruled it was too broad and limited free speech after aid groups that work with Kurds in Turkey and Tamils in Sri Lanka had started the action saying they were afraid to organise conferences or publish political material.

The Justice Department (news - web sites) is reviewing the decision.

Bush said that next week he will go to Hershey in Pennsylvania and Buffalo in New York to see police and other investigators who have been using the act. "They know we must not let down our guard. The war on terror will be won on the offensive, so Congress must renew the Patriot Act," the president said.

[inquest]

Yes, it was largely a product of the 2000 Hart-Rudman Commission.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

So what are we to make of this:

FBI said buried by security demands