Posted on 01/17/2007 2:00:42 PM PST by LC HOGHEAD
Bush won't reauthorize eavesdropping Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:44pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush has decided not to renew a program of domestic spying on terrorism suspects, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Wednesday, ending an law-enforcement tactic criticized for infringing on civil liberties.
"The president has determined not to reauthorize the Terrorist Surveillance Program when the current authorization expires," Gonzales wrote in a letter to congressional leaders.
Bush has reauthorized the program every 45 days, and the current authorization is mid-cycle, a senior Justice Department official said. Gonzales said a recent secret-court approval allowed the government to act effectively without the program.
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The program, adopted after the September 11 attacks, allowed the government to eavesdrop on the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens without a warrant, if those wiretaps were made to track suspected al Qaeda operatives.
Critics have said the program violated the U.S. Constitution and a 1978 law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which made it illegal to spy on U.S. citizens in the United States without the approval of the special surveillance court.
"Any electronic surveillance that was occurring as part of the Terrorist Surveillance Program will now be conducted subject to the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court," Gonzales said.
Gonzales said a judge on the secret FISA court recently approved a government proposal allowing it to target communications into and out of the United States when probable cause exists that one person is a member of al Qaeda or an associated terrorist organization
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
President Milquetoast caves in to the RATS again.
So, they got one of the judges to approve their procedures -- so now they don't need to "find" an exception to the law, they can implement the law as written and as interpreted by the fisa court judge they will go to for approval.
If this is the case and if this secret program is as good as eavesdropping then it is OK, hopefully this new secret program will not be leaked to the treasonous New York Times.
Gonzales said a recent secret-court approval allowed the government to act effectively without the program.
Too bad. I understand it lead to stopping some terrorist attacks.
Why don't you READ the damn article before you go off half-cocked.
MAKE THE DEMOCRATS VOTE ON IT!
What do you expect when the guy doesn't get the support he needs from supposed conservatives.
Correct. Lets see the whole loafers square this article with this article...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769141/posts
Jv... its still a cave in. FISA court can take 72 or more hours for approval, more on weekends. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE here !!!!
Gonzales said a recent secret-court approval allowed the government to act effectively without the program.
Wrong! FISA can give the approval retroactively!
Howie...even with FISA approval, which can take 72 hours or more, NO WIRETAPS (or data from one)obtained prior to the court approval are admissable in a court of law. Therefore they could hear a threat, and not be able to act on it or prosecute until the court approves. READ THE LAW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Liberal media has really enslaved you guys, I cannot believe how do you fall to their distortions and lies so quickly!
MELAN, FISA has only granted retroactive approval 6 times since 9-11.
Exactly, LC and ME should read this thread as well that you linked in your post # 5.
And........how many times were they asked, 6, 7?
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