Posted on 01/18/2006 8:10:29 AM PST by Perlstein
The one thing you left out here as it currently stands, is that these warrantless taps are on international communications. That's a key point. Your scenario leaves out that Al Qaeda, or any other Islamist terrorist group, could very well be operating within the States.
Anything within the United States and/or its territories still requires a warrant, even on those Islamist groups.
This is a ch__ch. What's missing?
I only support the direct call scenario and cases like the post Osama call. The rest should be done through the more traditional methods if they want to follow up on further removed persons.
So to answer your question, if it is demonstrated that the 4 steps removed system is being used on US CITIZENS, then I would want it curtailed. That is too random to be legal.
But they claimed that only about 5000 people have been subject to this. So I'd be quite suprised if more than a handful of 4 steppers were being monitored.
Yes, it surely does have the power to decare war. Don't know about undeclaring war. But that takes us a long way away from what we're talking about here.
I'm not about to follow you around your endless number of circles. Stick on one subject, please.
This is a ch__ch. What's missing?
And, as far as what is being monitored, we only know what we are told...
My "logic" says that the Constitution means something. Checks and balances are there for a purpose. Marxism and liberalism believe in government power without restraint. I don't.
I don't believe it. For a second. It is contrary to the very nature of government to be self-constrained.
Ah - it is perfectly clear now. You don't have 'positions.' You have 'sides.'
There are bound to be at LEAST 5000 terror sympathizers in this country with contacts as diverse as the commie insurgents in the Phillipines, the questioanble Saudi supported "charities", to british bred terror scum, etc etc. The number seems small to me.
"Sympathisers" usually far outnumber those who either take any action or communicate with those who do. There are a few hundred million AQ 'sympathisers' around the world. If there are 5000 that have actually taken some action that would subject them either to a FISA warrant or the standard of 'reasonableness' you have expressed, I'd be amazed. I'd also think we need to be making lots of arrests.
Weyrich and Barr were bitching about Echelon well before Bush was ever President. But fyi, this isn't even about Echelon, so your question is rather irrelevant.
parrot the leftist media line
There is a lot of that around here these days.
We've made some arrests. But I'm guessing out of those 5000, a good percentage are deemed to be non threats and dropped. And of the remaining percentage, it's more valuable to keep tabs on them unless they are planning something imminent. Catch the big fish that way.
Of course with the publicity due to the stinking leakers, it probably scuttled a bunch of leads.
Yes, that was sarcasm. Except for those folks who really believe that someone could do any significant damage to the Brooklyn Bridge with an acetylene torch, without being REALLY obvious for a REALLY long time.
My view is that it is dangerous for a President to have expanded powers and justify that by saying 'war on terror' when that war has no definable end.
Most big fish are overseas, I hope. If I recall, the way they blew that big fish up in Yemen with a hellfire missile was because he called here and got tracked.
I hope you don't think every arrest of a terrorist here, especially a non citizen, is being reported. In fact, I'm guessing a few foriegn nationals have just vanished. As it should be.
Let's see some specifics (aside from Barr; we all know about him). Have any of them come out against the war in Iraq, for example? I'd have to doubt that David Keene could be opposed to the WOT "at all levels" and still write for FrontPageMag.com. So pardon me if this NRO canard sounds just a little bit on the tinfoilish side.
In other words, you're looking for an excuse to avoid the debate, because you've been checkmated since #145. There's only one way out for you, and that ain't it.
They don't call them 'bots for nothing.
No, I don't think it is all being officially reported, or should be. But things happen when folks are being arrested that don't escape notice. Like when you heard a bunch of noise last night, and walk out into the hall of your apartment building and note that the door down the hall has been smashed to splinters. And then you notice that you don't ever see that guy around anymore.
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