Category «Civil Liberties»

Opposing Views on Patriot Act Reauthorization Presented in DOJ and Advocacy Group Statements

DOJ Fact Sheet, December 20, 2005 – Civil Liberties Safeguards in the USA PATRIOT Act Conference Report: “After months of debate—including 23 Congressional hearings with over 60 witnesses—the Senate must act to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT Act before these key provisions expire. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to reauthorize the bill with strong …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legislation, Patriot Act, Privacy

Pelosi Requests Declassification of Her Letter on NSA Activities

Press release: “House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on her request to the Director of National Intelligence to declassify a letter she wrote several years ago to the Bush Administration expressing concerns about the activities of the National Security Agency.” “When I learned several years ago that the National Security Agency …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents

Bipartisan Group of Senators Call For Joint Inquiry into Domestic Surveillance

Press release, December 20, 2005: “U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and a bipartisan group of Senate Intelligence Committee members today called for a joint inquiry by the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees into the President’s authorization of domestic electronic surveillance of U.S. citizens.” Related reference: Press release: “The American Civil Liberties Union today submitted records requests …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Privacy

House Judiciary Cmte. Democratic Staff Report Confronts Iraq War Issues

Report prepared by the Minority Staff of the House Judiciary Committee, The Constitution in Crisis; The Downing Street Minutes and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War (273 pages, HTML link to Table of Contents) Press release by Rep. John Conyers, Jr. “…the report examines the Bush Administration’s actions in taking us …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Legal Research, Patriot Act, Privacy

AG, VP Issue Statements on Legal Underpinnings of Electronic Surveillance Program

In following postings on the revelations on the Domestic Surveillance Program, see the text of this Press Briefing by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and General Michael Hayden, Principal Deputy Director for National Intelligence, December 19, 2005. “The President confirmed the existence of a highly classified program on Saturday. The program remains highly classified; there are …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Legal Research

Domestic Spying Targeted Animal Rights and Environmental Activitists

Press release: “According to new documents released today by the American Civil Liberties Union, the FBI is using counterterrorism resources to monitor and infiltrate domestic political organizations that criticize business interests and government policies, despite a lack of evidence that the groups are engaging in or supporting violent action.” The ACLU has posted the FOIA …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Privacy

Administration Responds to Concerns About Domestic Surveillance Citing Exemption

Following up on related postings in the past several days, see the following references, resources, statements and news: Electronic Surveillance: 50 USC 1801 – 50 USC 1811. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Orders 1979-2004 Congressional Record: December 16, 2005 (Senate)[Page S13736-S13749]. Statement of Sen. Feinstein: “…Let me be clear. Domestic intelligence collection …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, E-Mail, Government Documents, Internet, Privacy

Bush Radio Address Today; Feingold’s Response and Related Commentary

Radio Address by the President to the Nation, December 17, 2005: “This authorization is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power, under our laws and Constitution, to protect them and their civil liberties and that …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Government Documents, Patriot Act, Privacy

News of Classified Domestic Surveillance Operation Sparks Outrage

The revelation of previously undisclosed domestic surveillance operations, documented in by the New York Times in the December 15 article which apparently had been withheld from publication for a year, has generated considerable controversy and bipartisan reaction calling for a Congressional probe. Civil Liberties Become a Casualty of War

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, E-Government, Government Documents, Patriot Act, Privacy

Report Reveals Post 9/11 Gov’t Surveillance of Americans

New York Times: Bush Secretly Lifted Some Limits on Spying in U.S. After 9/11, Officials Say, by James Risen and Eric Lichtblau: “Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, Government Documents, Privacy

Senate Vote on Patriot Act Scheduled Tomorrow

AP: Feingold Now Has Numbers on His Side – As the only Senator voting against the Patriot Act in 2001, Feingold’s consistent efforts to reform the bill have resulted in a bipartisan group now comprising over 24 Senators who are demanding reforms before reauthorizing the legislation. Statement by Sen. Russ Feingold: “The Senate is scheduled …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Legislation, Patriot Act, Privacy