Posted on 04/09/2003 8:21:51 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
Patriot Act To Be Made Permanent? By Report by J.J. Johnson
WASHINGTON, April 8 - According to the New York Times , Congressional Republicans are working to make permanent the sweeping antiterrorism powers given to federal law enforcement agents after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The Times reports that the move is likely to touch off strong objections from many Democrats and even some Republicans in Congress who believe that the Patriot Act, as the legislation that grew out of the attacks is known, has already given the government too much power to spy on Americans. If you recall, it was only passed with the agreement there would be a sunshine clause inserted, where Congress would have to review the act in 2005.
The legislation expanded the government's power to use eavesdropping, surveillance, access to financial and computer records and other tools to track terrorist suspects, clearly testing the limits of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the Constitution. It has been on the books since October of 2001.
The times said the move to repeal the sunset clause was crafted by one Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah. Republicans may seek to move on the proposal this week by trying to attaching it to another antiterrorism bill that would make it easier for the government to use secret surveillance warrants against "lone wolf" terrorism suspects.
Bear in mind that while the New York Times laid on this on Hatch, the Utah Senator made no comment on the record. Nor has any other republican. Democrats, needless to say, arent too happy about it. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), predicted that Republicans lacked the votes to repeal the limits.
The Times also wrote that Justice Department officials credited the Patriot Act with allowing the F.B.I. to move with greater speed and flexibility to disrupt terrorist operations before they occur, and they say they wanted to see the 2005 time limit on the legislation lifted.
"The Patriot Act has been an extremely useful tool, a demonstrated success, and we don't want that to expire on us," a senior department official said on condition of anonymity.
Another senior official who also demanded anonymity said the department had held discussions with Congressional Republicans about how that might best be accomplished. "Our involvement has really been just keeping an open ear to the issue as it's proceeding, not to really guide the debate," the official said.
Again, notice how no one wanted to go on the record about this. Debate is expected, but months away. The Sierra Times suggests, consider this New York Times story an official trial balloon to gauge the public reaction. Chances of the sunshine clause being lifted is slim at best - unless another major terrorist attack happens before then
Actually with Clinton taking the traditional (pre-9/11) American policy of ignoring foreign threats(not taking Bin ladin into custody when he had the chance etc.etc.), he set up the US for disaster.
The world has changed. America's new policy is to pre-emptively deal with potential threats to America. The world is not static, but we can still keep our basic freedoms and deal with the threats, unfortunately that does not work in your static unbending world, IMO.
I always know that I have won a battle when Libertarians make snide remarks behind my back.
Either your reading comprehension sucks, or like a typical liberal, you selectively address arguments made to you...conviently ignoring most of them...
___________
____________To: Dane
I'll let you in on a dirty secret...I'm not a libertarian.
I'm a true conservative Republican.
Before you retort you'd better go study your history and law so that you can actually understand what qualifies one as "conservative" and "republican"...
241 posted on 04/09/2003 4:09 PM EDT by Abundy
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Again, you better go read (and comprehend) some history and law before you call me a libertarian.
The Australian Government's $15 million fridge magnet campaign to educate Australians about terrorism has scooped an international award as one of the most stupid security measures introduced since September 11. The competition, run by Privacy International, which is best known for its annual Big Brother awards for intrusive practices, received almost 5000 nominations from 35 countries. The Government took out the Most Egregiously Stupid Award for the kit which urged Australians to report anything suspicious while asking them to be "alert but not alarmed".
The Delta Terminal at JFK Airport in New York won the most flagrantly intrusive award for forcing a mother travelling with a four-month-old baby to drink three bottles of her own breast milk, for fear that the bottles contained explosives or chemical agents. Heathrow Airport, also picked up an award for quarantining a quantity of Gunpowder (green) tea. The tea was eventually allowed but the packaging bearing the Gunpowder labelling, was confiscated and destroyed. Another airport, Philadelphia International, received the most inexplicably stupid award for issuing a code-red hazardous materials alert that closed a hospital emergency ward and two local shops because of a bottle of suspect cologne. "There is a serious issue of respect for people's rights being eroded by stupid security measures," said Tim Dixon, a judge on the Stupid Security competition panel and a spokesman for the Australian Privacy Foundation. "Many of these measures do not make us any safer." Mr Dixon said the Australian Government-backed public education scheme stood out because of its scale, cost and its "meaningless nature".
The Attorney-General, Daryl Williams, who launched the fridge door anti-terrorism kit in February, declined to comment. Winners receive a luxury package of Gunpowder tea.
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