Bush Won't Reauthorize 'Terrorist Surveillance Program'

[JMS]

Bush Won't Reauthorize 'Terrorist Surveillance Program'

Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:44 PM ET

By James Vicini

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.

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.

He reiterated the administration's position that the surveillance program has been legal, but said the government will now have the ability to act with sufficient "speed and agility."

White House spokesman Tony Snow said the new rules approved by the court addressed administration concerns.

"The president will not reauthorize the present program because the new rules will serve as guideposts," Snow said.

Gonzales' letter came the day before he was scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the Democrats now in power were expected to question him closely about the much-criticized program.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat and the judiciary committee's chairman, said Bush's decision will provide efficient and meaningful court review.

"We must engage in all surveillance necessary to prevent acts of terrorism, but we can and should do so in ways that protect the basic rights of all Americans including the right to privacy," he said.

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat and a judiciary committee member, said, "Why it took five years to go to even this secret court is beyond comprehension."

Last year a federal judge in Detroit ordered the Bush administration to stop the surveillance because it violates Americans' civil rights.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor said the program violated a constitutional check on the power of the presidency and said there "are no hereditary kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution."

The Bush administration has appealed the ruling to a federal appeals court, where the case is pending.

Gonzales said the administration began exploring options for seeking FISA court approval for the program in the spring of 2005, well before it was publicly disclosed at the end of that year, creating a firestorm of criticism.

He did not give details of the court's orders.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyid=2007-01-17T204435Z_01_N17341517_RTRUKOC_0_US-SURVEILLANCE-BUSH.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

[Zen-like Todd]

Merge with:

http://www.extremeskins.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188220

[NoCalMike]

Oh, so you mean now that there is oversight and the administration can actually be accountable for breaking the law, he decides to get rid of the program? How NOT suprising....

[Sarge]

Relax terrorists. One less set of eyes on you.

Actually, there will be more eyes on you, and more of a chance it'll be leaked and in up in the New York Times

So you can still relax and plan your next strike

[Larry]

Actually, if the past history of this administration is any indication, then six months from now we'll discover that, while he's publicly shutting down an illegal program he's been caught at, that he's simultaneously, secretly, starting another program with a different name that does the same thing.

(Kind-of like, when the court rules that the words "enemy combatant" don't authorize the President to make people disappear, the administration re-classifying the prisoner as a "person of national security interest", and claiming that those words allow him to disappear. (Until the court can rule on those words.))

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Actually, if the past history of this administration is any indication, then six months from now we'll discover that, while he's publicly shutting down an illegal program he's been caught at, that he's simultaneously, secretly, starting another program with a different name that does the same thing.

(Kind-of like, when the court rules that the words "enemy combatant" don't authorize the President to make people disappear, the administration re-classifying the prisoner as a "person of national security interest", and claiming that those words allow him to disappear. (Until the court can rule on those words.))

And we have a winner.

[twa]

It was the FISA court that accepted the Bush rationale... not the other way around.

http://biglizards.net/blog/archives/2007/01/another_bush_su.html

[Larry]

It was the FISA court that accepted the Bush rationale... not the other way around.

http://biglizards.net/blog/archives/2007/01/another_bush_su.html

Yep, your bloggers are right. The court, by issuing their warrants, clearly upheld the "Bush Doctrine" that no court oversight or approval are needed, ever.

[Zen-like Todd]

It was the FISA court that accepted the Bush rationale... not the other way around.

http://biglizards.net/blog/archives/2007/01/another_bush_su.html

That's complete and total spin. They are running things through FISA instead of going around it with a secret program. The administration gave in, clear and simple, regardless of what Tony Snow was pretending today.

[twa]

That's complete and total spin. They are running things through FISA instead of going around it with a secret program. The administration gave in, clear and simple, regardless of what Tony Snow was pretending today.

Since the Fisa judge approved the program suggested there is no longer any need to go around them...unless they get in the way

Added link to AG letter to senators

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/nsa-doj-surveillance/?resultpage=1&

[@DCGoldPants]

What a freaking coward.

This is how the White House operates?

They don't fight for what they believe in, unless its a clear victory (of policy) before they continue the fight.

This is Miers all over again. Guess he doesn't believe in it that much. Only when he knows that nobody can have hearings, or oversight.

I think when the President said Iraq has been a slow failure this week, he was also talking about his admin. Getting worse and worse.

[Zen-like Todd]

What a freaking coward.

This is how the White House operates?

They don't fight for what they believe in, unless its a clear victory (of policy) before they continue the fight.

This is Miers all over again. Guess he doesn't believe in it that much. Only when he knows that nobody can have hearings, or oversight.

I think when the President said Iraq has been a slow failure this week, he was also talking about his admin. Getting worse and worse.

Miers, Jose Padilla, FISA court. It's standard Bush Administration operating procedure. Terribly embarassing.

[Thiebear]

He should be going through FISA.

FISA should be streamlining it.

I hope common sense pervails.. but it is the gov't.

[twa]

Miers, Jose Padilla, FISA court. It's standard Bush Administration operating procedure. Terribly embarassing.

Nominates Miers, gets Roberts

Padilla,still in prison

FISA, approves spying program

I only wish ALL the administrations actions had similar results :cool:

[Zen-like Todd]

Nominates Miers, gets Roberts

Padilla,still in prison

FISA, approves spying program

I only wish ALL the administrations actions had similar results :cool:

Pushes joke of a Supreme Court justice, gets laughed out of the building.

Holds Padilla without charge, suddenly gives in and charges him before they can be smacked down by the courts.

Creates illegal warrantless wiretapping system, then gives in and accepts FISA oversight when the Democratic majority shows up.

If you like shady, illegal practices, then this is definitely the administration for you TWA. You should be disgusted with these practices and the direction they tried to take this country. It's unfortunate their fear mongering made you think such things were necessary to give you a warm and fuzzy feeling of security.

[twa]

You certainly don't hear me whining about Bush :laugh:

[JMS]

I think Bush was smart. He declared victory and retreated before he got the political snot smacked out of him. He had painted himself into an undefendable position by placing himself above the courts, above the congress, and above the Constitution. That was ok when the Congress were full of his lap dogs. But now that we have substituted in more ferocious disagreeable Democrat lap dogs; Bush retreats from the un-defendable ground before they make political gold out of the stupidity of his argument and position...

Note the strategy because you can expect to see it again with regards to Iraq in the near future. Bush will proclaim victory, and remove our troops. I just hope it happens sooner rather than latter.

Bush has actually surprised me lately. I didn't think he had a clever or subtle bone in his body. I was particularly amused when on the eve of the Democratic take over of congress Bush called for a balanced budget, fiscal responsibility, a rise in the minimum wage, and the line item veto... Now that was priceless.

Thank God for Checks and Balances!!

[Zuck]

I think Bush was smart. He declared victory and retreated before he got the political snot smacked out of him. He had painted himself into an undefendable position by placing himself above the courts, above the congress, and above the Constitution. That was ok when the Congress were full of his lap dogs. But now that we have substituted in more ferocious disagreeable Democrat lap dogs; Bush retreats from the un-defendable ground before they make political gold out of the stupidity of his argument and position...

Note the strategy because you can expect to see it again with regards to Iraq in the near future. Bush will proclaim victory, and remove our troops. I just hope it happens sooner rather than latter.

Bush has actually surprised me lately. I didn't think he had a clever or subtle bone in his body. I was particularly amused when on the eve of the Democratic take over of congress Bush called for a balanced budget, fiscal responsibility, a rise in the minimum wage, and the line item veto... Now that was priceless.

Thank God for Checks and Balances!!

I love what a Republican congressman said about the new minimum wage hike. He said the Republicans would have made a bigger and longer one.

well why didn't they than?

[chomerics]

I only wish ALL the administrations actions had similar results :cool:

You think those are "cool" things? And you actually have the audacity to consider yourself as a moderate? Seriously WTF?

[twa]

You think those are "cool" things? And you actually have the audacity to consider yourself as a moderate? Seriously WTF?

I am result oriented, what is not to like about the three results?

Roberts...Good one

Padilla...like to see him dead,but prison will do

NSA/FISA...long as what needs done gets done

[flashback]

Sorry, twa, but what did Jose Padilla ever do to you? Or anyone for that matter? Even if you think he's guilty, are you willing to give up all of the freedoms the writers of constitution and all of our veterans have fought for just to be rid of Jose Padilla?

Again, I apologize for being dramatic, and yes, its a damn shame when some criminal gets off on some sort of technicality, but that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about the rule of law. We're talking about due process and habeus corpus. We're talking about the 4th amendment. Are you seriously willing to get rid of our Constitution, make it "optional", as "long as what needs done gets done?"

[twa]

"Are you seriously willing to get rid of our Constitution, make it "optional", as "long as what needs done gets done?"

Ask Lincoln his opinion :laugh:

Do you think Padilla is a boy scout?

[JMS]

"Are you seriously willing to get rid of our Constitution, make it "optional", as "long as what needs done gets done?"

Ask Lincoln his opinion :laugh:

Do you think Padilla is a boy scout?

Ok, I'll bite.. How did Lincoln "get rid of our Constitution"?

< pregnant pause as I wait for revisionist history >

[Sarge]

Ok, I'll bite.. How did Lincoln "get rid of our Constitution"?

< pregnant pause as I wait for revisionist history >

Got rid of is probably a bad term. But he did suspend habius corpus