Posted on 12/17/2005 6:40:17 AM PST by Kaslin
Lost in yesterday's Senate debate and eventual rejection of most of the Patriot Act was one salient fact. Since its inception, the measure has foiled at least three terrorist attacks of 9/11 proportions against the U.S. - and seven other attacks in nations of close allies around the globe.
Earlier this year, the White House detailed the chilling al Qaida plots foiled during the four years the Patriot Act was in full force - plots that would have likely proceeded undetected until their final execution, under the kind of rollback the Senate passed on Friday.
According to a CNN report in October, the list of plots foiled thanks to the Patriot Act includes:
# The West Coast Hijack Plot:
# In mid-2002 the United States disrupted a plot to use hijacked airplanes to attack targets on the West Coast of the United States. The plotters included at least one major operational planner behind the 9/11 attacks.
# The East Coast Hijack Plot:
In mid-2003 the United States and a partner disrupted a plot to use hijacked commercial airplanes to attack targets on the East Coast of the United States.
# The Jose Padilla Plot:
In May 2002 the United States disrupted a plot that involved blowing up apartment buildings in the United States. One of the alleged plotters, Jose Padilla, allegedly discussed the possibility of using a "dirty bomb" inside the United States. Bush has designated him an "enemy combatant."
# The British Urban Bombing Plot:
In mid-2004 the United States and partners disrupted a plot to bomb urban targets in Britain.
# The Heathrow Airport Hijack Plot:
In 2003 the United States and several partners disrupted a plot to attack London's Heathrow Airport using hijacked commercial airliners. The planning for this alleged attack was undertaken by a major operational figure in the 9/11 attacks.
# Another British Bombing Terror Plot:
In the spring of 2004 the United States used intelligence gathered under the Patriot Act to disrupt a plot to conduct large-scale bombings in Britain.
Four additional attack plots detailed by the White House targeted U.S. interests in the Middle East.
Now that the Patriot Act has been gutted by the Senate, however, plots like those cited above will presumably proceed to their successful completion.
And who will the media blame when we have another attack? Hint not the New York Slimes and the senate
Just an observation, but taking away freedom is indeed an effective way to increase security--from everyone but the enforcers, at least. I'm all in favor of taking away terrorists' freedom. What troubles me is that there's no guaranteed way to take freedom away from the bad guys without taking it away from good guys as well.
A good start would be immediate deporation of people on overstaid visas and all illegals convicted of felony crimes.
Another thing would be to not give illegals driver licenses and ratchet up the security in that area.
That's a start.
Many of the DemoRats who want to weaken or repeal the Patriot Act have also said that we are no safer as a result of the war on terrorism. So let's see, they think we are no safer, but they want to weaken our security anyway? The DemoRats are insane with hatred of the President. They think Bush is the enemy, not the terrorists. The DemoRats are a threat to our security.
Is there a list of the votes cast by senators?
This made the act a pile of rubbish.
Come back with a bill aimed squarely at terrorist, and include a provision to bar anyone (and their supervisors) who uses the act for any other purpose, from ever receiving a cent from taxpayers. No pay check, no pension, nothing.
Nothing wrong with going after the terrorist and showing no mercy in the process.
Why didn't the President go on national televison in prime time before the vote to state these facts? and ask people to call there senators and encourage them to vote for renewal?
Yes, that's true. However, nothing in life is guaranteed. There is no guaranteed way to be sure that the IRS will not use its considerable power to target and punish the politically outspoken. The remedy is to remain alert for abuses and expose them. But do we really want to deny investigators the power to know who is talking to Al Qaeda leaders abroad, who is accessing the plans to bridges and tunnels, etc?
That would be a very good start. And it wouldn't involve any encroachments on the bill of rights, either! We should enforce existing laws before we create lots of new (unconstitutional) ones.
Good point. I would also like to know why GWB has not talked a lot more about the links between Iraq and al qaeda.
(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")
The Dems are hoping for that because they think they'll get their power back
They are playing games with American lives
Bush needs to get his message out. Maybe have Rush write the script.
Clinton (ugh) had a daily photo op and a message. The media and "the American people" lapped it up. Didn't matter that it was all bogus. It looked like he was the President, and that's all that mattered to them.
It would simplify my votes for teh next couple of senators up for re-election.
I'm ashamed to admit, I abstained from voting for my senator last time because the democrat was a moderate and the republican was a moron.
Never again....I don't care if Daffy Duck is the republican candidate. If my senator is just going to follow the marching orders of Howard Dean or whoever the heck they're following, we're better off with Daffy.
The White House botched this like so many other deals that could easily have been turned to the president's advantage.
Note to self: Three that we know of have been stopped. Now that we hamstring efforts, this means that the next one, which could well occur under Bush's watch thanks to this, will be blamed on Bush, when in fact it will be because of the Democratic strategy.
The Democrats main objective is to not only oppose the President, but to weaken him. Anything President Bush proposes is criticized and downgraded by the party of NO (Democrats). The President has the safety and success of the nation as his priority, while the Democrats only goal is to concentrate on how to regain power. They will stop at nothing.
I would deport ALL middle eastern immigrants that aren't citizens and ban immigration from those countries....
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