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Obama Expands the Patriot Act
The police-state Patriot Act which was rammed through Congress in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by the Bush-Cheney Administration, and which set into place surveillance measures which would identify citizens to be rounded up in a Hitler-style coup, now belongs completely to Barack Obama. Last May, after Obama had run into strong bipartisan opposition to extending its most controversial provisions, he cut a deal with Republicans to cram a bill down Congress's throat extending the Patriot Act for four years (!) without even holding any hearings.
The three provisions which were extended were: (1) Section 215, the "business records" provision, which allows the FBI to obtain all types of financial recordstelephone, email, travel, credit card, etc.without a subpoena; (2) roving wiretaps under FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), using much looser standards than exist for criminal investigations; and (3) the "lone wolf" provision, allowing the use of FISA surveillance without showing any connection to a foreign power or international terrorism.
While the Patriot Act generally operates "below the radar," it is currently in the news again:
First, the New York Times and its reporter Charlie Savage have sued the Justice Department for the Administration's classified interpretation of the Patriot Act, particularly that relating the "business records" section. Last May, after having received a classified briefing in the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) warned his colleagues that there are two Patriot Acts: one which Congress has approved, and a second, secret program based on the Obama Administration's secret interpretation of the lawwhich is what the Times FOIA suit is seeking.
"When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry," Wyden said, citing the public outrage that was sparked by the discovery of other secret surveillance programs, such as Project Shamrock that came to light in the mid-1970s, the Iran-Contra affair, and the Bush Administration's secret program of warrantless wiretapping. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, backed Wyden's account, declaring that "Americans would be alarmed if they knew how this law is being carried out."
Second, in a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Oct. 6, as well as a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Sept. 13, the question of "lone wolf" terrorists, or what are now termed "homegrown violent extremists," played a prominent role. Traditionally, national security wiretaps and surveillance required showing a connection to a foreign power or an international terrorist organization. But no longer.
At the House hearing, FBI Director Robert Mueller said that "one of the greatest concerns now are lone actors, lone wolves," and claimed that "the threat from 'homegrown violent extremists is among our most serious terrorism threats today." Because the operate alone, they are harder to detect and disrupt, Mueller said, adding that "the FBI, along with our partners, is focused more than ever on this threat."
read more "Americans Would Be Alarmed If They Knew": Obama Expands the Patriot Act
The police-state Patriot Act which was rammed through Congress in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by the Bush-Cheney Administration, and which set into place surveillance measures which would identify citizens to be rounded up in a Hitler-style coup, now belongs completely to Barack Obama. Last May, after Obama had run into strong bipartisan opposition to extending its most controversial provisions, he cut a deal with Republicans to cram a bill down Congress's throat extending the Patriot Act for four years (!) without even holding any hearings.
The three provisions which were extended were: (1) Section 215, the "business records" provision, which allows the FBI to obtain all types of financial recordstelephone, email, travel, credit card, etc.without a subpoena; (2) roving wiretaps under FISA (the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act), using much looser standards than exist for criminal investigations; and (3) the "lone wolf" provision, allowing the use of FISA surveillance without showing any connection to a foreign power or international terrorism.
While the Patriot Act generally operates "below the radar," it is currently in the news again:
First, the New York Times and its reporter Charlie Savage have sued the Justice Department for the Administration's classified interpretation of the Patriot Act, particularly that relating the "business records" section. Last May, after having received a classified briefing in the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) warned his colleagues that there are two Patriot Acts: one which Congress has approved, and a second, secret program based on the Obama Administration's secret interpretation of the lawwhich is what the Times FOIA suit is seeking.
"When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry," Wyden said, citing the public outrage that was sparked by the discovery of other secret surveillance programs, such as Project Shamrock that came to light in the mid-1970s, the Iran-Contra affair, and the Bush Administration's secret program of warrantless wiretapping. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), also a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, backed Wyden's account, declaring that "Americans would be alarmed if they knew how this law is being carried out."
Second, in a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Oct. 6, as well as a Senate Homeland Security hearing on Sept. 13, the question of "lone wolf" terrorists, or what are now termed "homegrown violent extremists," played a prominent role. Traditionally, national security wiretaps and surveillance required showing a connection to a foreign power or an international terrorist organization. But no longer.
At the House hearing, FBI Director Robert Mueller said that "one of the greatest concerns now are lone actors, lone wolves," and claimed that "the threat from 'homegrown violent extremists is among our most serious terrorism threats today." Because the operate alone, they are harder to detect and disrupt, Mueller said, adding that "the FBI, along with our partners, is focused more than ever on this threat."
read more "Americans Would Be Alarmed If They Knew": Obama Expands the Patriot Act