'WIRE' LAW FAILED LOST GI: 10-HOUR DELAY AS FEDS SOUGHT TAP TO TRACK JIMENEZ CAPTORS IN IRAQ

New York Post ^ | October 15, 2007 | CHARLES HURT, Bureau Chief

[Doctor Raoul]

'WIRE' LAW FAILED LOST GI

10-HOUR DELAY AS FEDS SOUGHT TAP TO TRACK JIMENEZ CAPTORS IN IRAQ
By CHARLES HURT, Bureau Chief

October 15, 2007

WASHINGTON - U.S. intelligence officials got mired for nearly 10 hours seeking approval to use wiretaps against al Qaeda terrorists suspected of kidnapping Queens soldier Alex Jimenez in Iraq earlier this year, The Post has learned.

This week, Congress plans to vote on a bill that leaves in place the legal hurdles in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - problems that were highlighted during the May search for a group of kidnapped U.S. soldiers.

A search to rescue the men was quickly launched. But it soon ground to a halt as lawyers - obeying strict U.S. laws about surveillance - cobbled together the legal grounds for wiretapping the suspected kidnappers.

For an excruciating nine hours and 38 minutes, searchers in Iraq waited as U.S. lawyers discussed legal issues and hammered out the "probable cause" necessary for the attorney general to grant such "emergency" permission.

Finally, approval was granted and, at 7:38 that night, surveillance began.

"The intelligence community was forced to abandon our soldiers because of the law," a senior congressional staffer with access to the classified case told The Post.

"How many lawyers does it take to rescue our soldiers?" he asked. "It should be zero."

[Lancey Howard]

The next time the Democrats wring their hands in glee as they announce some “milestone” casualty number from the war in Iraq, they can take special delight in knowing they helped push it along.

[angkor]

Iraq cellphone service is provided through a network built by Orascom (Egypt), MTC Atheer (Kuwait), and Wataniya (Kuwait). That’s it.

Why would an inter-Iraq or even a Middle Eastern regional call need to transit a U.S. switch? The networks of all three companies are strictly Middle East and Northern African regional.

It is nearly preposterous that calls on these networks “go through the U.S.” for local or regional calling.

[maine-iac7]

I can’t post what I think about the Democrats and Hate America “peace groups” that rail about “illegal surveillence” with about being banned for life.:

But what we SHOULD do is FAX and email this article to every dimRat in DC and simply say:

Remember, every time you look in the mirror - for the rest of your life - that you see an accomplice to murder. The blood of these brave soldiers is on your head, traitor." - or something similar.

It's the least we can do, in their memory and for our troops still in harms way.

[maine-iac7]

We need to make sure that up and coming republicans like Allen West, running for Congress *(Florida) are elected and get into the pipeline for the future.

He got into trouble for scaring a terrorist into giving up information that saved the lives of his men - and he said he'd do the same thing again in the same circumstances.

THIS is the caliber of men we need in Washington.

Wanna get a shot of 'feel good' to set up the rest of your day? Watch and bookmark this clip --- and let's make sure THIS MAN gets elected...THIS man would make a great president one day...

No matter what state you live in, contribute to Allen West's campaign - for the future of all of us.

(Live link next post)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNcQD_vA-X8

(I'm a 'typical white Bible clinging gun toting gramma)

[maine-iac7]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNcQD_vA-X8

He covers every point - he has the background...he has the guts.

Let’s make sure he gets in the pipeline - he’d make an incredible President one day -

also, read what he did for his men in IRaq - regardless of the consequences to himself.

[maine-iac7]

Somebody obviously did foul up here, but I've seen no indication it was Congress.

So Congress had no hand in putting these FISA laws in place? hmmmmmmmmm

Seems to be some folk in here today carrying water for Congress

[Ancient Drive]

Democrats and Terrorists are birds of the same feather. They watch out for each other.

[leilani]

Hey Doc, don't know if you have watch BBC today, but they are going to have Christopher HItchens on tonight. He volunteered to be water boarded. They are going to show it on BBC News (News Night Comcast 114 BBC))tonight I believe at 6PM (EST)

You don't have to wait for the BBC broadcast.The video is available online at Vanity Fair here.

Hitch's VF column about it, "Believe Me, It's Torture", is is HERE.

[Alter Kaker]

So Congress had no hand in putting these FISA laws in place? hmmmmmmmmm

Of course Congress wrote FISA. But FISA doesn't apply to Iraq and never has. That's pretty much the end of the story.

[StAnDeliver]

Well, wait a minute Doc, why haven't the President's sponsors written an ‘armed forces under duress’ exemption into the bill? There was never any doubt of getting the thing passed again, even Barry willfully tossed his candidacy into the crapper on FISA!

[StAnDeliver]

"Democrats have blood on their hands."

"That is the horror of it: That in 1995 the standard/text high school history books will not say that America in the 1960s was ruled and effectively gutted by a gang of cheap thugs who also happened, for reasons of political necessity, to be Mass Murderers. The history books will not say that Lyndon Johnson was more vicious than Mussolini and more stupid than Hitler. They will not say that Robert McNamara's hands were so bloody that after five years he forgot what blood smelled like..." -- HST

[Charlespg]

I can’t post what I think about the Democrats and Hate America “peace groups” that rail about “illegal surveillence” with about being banned for life.

Nether can I

[Charlespg]

I can’t post what I think about the Democrats and Hate America “peace groups” that rail about “illegal surveillence” with about being banned for life.

Nether can I

[Issaquahking]

Exactalactly...democrats serve as AQ’s ground op’s in America. Part that is so tragic is that the useful idiots think they are serving the nation. War breaks out within our borders, do them as the enemy.

[sport]

Nor me.

[sport]

I wish he was in my district so that I could vote for him.

[Thunder90]

Iraq is foreign. Therefore it is foreign intelligence, and under the rhelm of the US Military and the CIA. They don’t need approval to wiretap overseas, they can and should just do it in this case, to hell with what some legal weenie says.

[RDTF]

this makes me furious

[Doctor Raoul]

Shakespeare did say, “First kill all the Jags...”

[DieHard the Hunter]

> For an excruciating nine hours and 38 minutes, searchers in Iraq waited as U.S. lawyers discussed legal issues and hammered out the “probable cause” necessary for the attorney general to grant such “emergency” permission.

A criminal state of affairs that must be rectified without delay.

Not that doing so will do any good for the families that grieve tonite.

I am so angry I could spit.