Reply #53: ABA President Urges Bush to Obey Spy Laws

[ProSense]

ABA President Urges Bush to Obey Spy Laws

By ANNA JOHNSON
The Associated Press
Friday, February 10, 2006; 7:39 PM

CHICAGO -- The president of the nation's largest lawyers group said Friday that President Bush should comply with federal law when conducting electronic surveillance of Americans and refrain from scaring people into giving up their civil liberties in the fight against terrorism.

"Times of conflict have often put stress on America's liberties. It's a time when we get frightened and are tempted to take shortcuts with the Constitution," American Bar Association President Michael Greco said. "But I personally reject the false choice that is being offered Americans that they must give up their liberties to have security."


Greco, who spoke at the ABA's midyear meeting in Chicago, also released a proposal recommending that the association oppose further electronic surveillance in the U.S. for foreign intelligence purposes that does not comply with the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. If the ABA's policy-making body approves it in a vote set for Monday, the proposal will become official policy of the 400,000-member group.

The proposal was recommended by an ABA task force that examined whether Bush was authorized to give the National Security Agency the power to eavesdrop on the international communications of Americans with suspected ties to terrorists without first obtaining warrants from a secretive court set up under FISA.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/10/AR2006021001749.html