Cheney: FISA Courts are Infiltrated by Islamic Terrorists

[stevenleser]

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_steven_l_070114_cheney_3a_fisa_courts_.htm

January 14, 2007

Cheney: FISA Courts are Infiltrated by Islamic Terrorists

By Steven Leser

According to this article in the Associated Press http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070114/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/pentagon_bank_records Dick Cheney today became the latest Bush administration official to assert the administration's rights to eavesdrop or gather other sensitive information on US Citizens without a warrant. The administration could request a warrant from secret courts set up by the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance) Act of 1978, but several agencies in the executive branch seem reluctant to go this route.

Brevity is not part of the objection nor is their a worry that the courts will not side on the side of the administration. Public records are scarce since the FISA courts are secret as the name implies. From what little we know, FISA courts operate with famous or some would say notorious speed and almost always deliver the requested warrant as the justices want to err on the side of safety which is understandable. No judge wants to be the one whose reluctance to issue a warrant results in the next 9/11.

This leaves two possible explanations. Either the administration knows they are doing something immoral or illegal and thus wants to avoid the paper trail that going to a FISA court would generate, or they believe that the FISA Courts are infiltrated by Islamic Terrorists.

One possibility is an impeachable offense for both Bush and Cheney along with other members of the administration and the other is a matter of national security that should warrant, no pun intended, an investigation. My question to both the President and Vice President is, which is it?

In the past when questions like these arose, the possibility of getting answers was stifled by the Republican congress, but times have changed. According to the above AP article, Rep. Silvestre Reyes ,D-Texas, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his panel will be the judge of .

In a statement Sunday, Reyes promised that his panel would take a careful look at those claims. "Any expansion by the department into intelligence collection, particularly on U.S. soil, is something our committee will thorough review," Reyes said. "We want our intelligence professionals to have strong tools that will enable them to interrupt the planning process of our enemies and to stop attacks against our country," he said. "But in doing so, we also want those tools to comply fully with the law and the Constitution."

In Reyes investigations, I hope he asks administration officials why they have the desire to skirt FISA? Are the FISA courts infiltrated? Ineffective? Or, is it as many of us suspect, that the administration does not want to have any oversight on their activities many of which are likely of a questionable constitutional or moral nature?

Congressman Reyes will have earned his pay and the votes of his constituents if he finds out the answers to these questions.

[hippiechick]

1. Did somebody slip Darth some bad shrooms ?

His schizophrenia is reaching frightening proportions.


:smoke:

[stevenleser]

3. Please note that he didnt actually say this...

... I admit to the intentional sensationalism in the title of my article. The intent is to generate interest into the question of why not go the FISA route? They absolutely have to be hiding something.

[hippiechick]

5. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he actually DOES ...

... say that, or something very much like it.

[eShirl]

6. you made it up. noted.

[durtee librul]

2. What I wanna know

is what is the renewed 'interest' in our bank records again? Heard on the news that they are 'requesting' more and more records.......I think I'll start keeping my money in my mattress.

[shance]

4. I just HATE it when that happens.

n/t

[peacetalksforall]

7. They fish and data mine and they do it to suspects related to

terrorism and political suspects.

I think they are really into blackmail and trying to be one step ahead. Rove may only be bright in relation to what they know about individuals and groups of people.

What FISA court isn't going to know the difference unless they are some planted judges?

I always remember with humor the 'outrage' they suffered from the truth or lie that some federal records were sitting on a table in the Clinton WH?

Did you ever hear about a grand structure being set-up to data mine under Clinton?

Did you ever hear of the law enforcers going around FISA during the Clinton admin?

Did you ever hear that the right wing is after library, internet, and bank data.

Were there as many stolen laptops with federal data on them during the Clinton admin as there have been the last six years?

[stevenleser]

8. I agree, and as a rather obvious opponent of this administration...

... it scares me silly. I also dont have the visibility of big name journalist folks so I am not sure it would generate any interest if "things" started happening to me.

I dont live in fear because I am not a paranoid person. But it also occurs to me that an administration that does not take constitutional protection for its people seriously is capable of anything.

[stevenleser]

9. You all might enjoy reading responses to this on DailyKOS

Check them out---> http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/1/14/182322/361