Bigger Brother (Albuquerque Tribune)

[struggle4progress]

July 26, 2006

Bigger Brother

The White House and Republican senators announced a deal on the nation's "terrorist surveillance" program ...

The agreement provides woefully inadequate oversight of programs now covered by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

It would no longer be necessary to ask the FISA court to issue specific warrants against terror suspects, as is now the case. Instead, the National Security Agency could ask the court to authorize entire programs to snoop on suspected terrorists. So long as the FISA court rules the program does not appear to violate the Fourth Amendment, the NSA would have a blank check, without the frequent oversight the court now provides.

We believe U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies should aggressively pursue jihadists. But any legislation that modifies FISA must maintain the balance between liberty and security that is the birthright of all Americans.

http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/op_editorials/article/0,2565,ALBQ_19867_4871583,00.html