WP: Pushing the Limits Of Wartime Powers (A Must Read)

[seafan]

Pushing the Limits Of Wartime Powers

By Barton Gellman and Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, December 18, 2005; Page A01


In his four-year campaign against al Qaeda, President Bush has turned the U.S. national security apparatus inward to secretly collect information on American citizens on a scale unmatched since the intelligence reforms of the 1970s.

The president's emphatic defense yesterday of warrantless eavesdropping on U.S. citizens and residents marked the third time in as many months that the White House has been obliged to defend a departure from previous restraints on domestic surveillance. In each case, the Bush administration concealed the program's dimensions or existence from the public and from most members of Congress.


Since October, news accounts have disclosed a burgeoning Pentagon campaign for "detecting, identifying and engaging" internal enemies that included a database with information on peace protesters. A debate has roiled over the FBI's use of national security letters to obtain secret access to the personal records of tens of thousands of Americans. And now come revelations of the National Security Agency's interception of telephone calls and e-mails from the United States -- without notice to the federal court that has held jurisdiction over domestic spying since 1978.

Defiant in the face of criticism, the Bush administration has portrayed each surveillance initiative as a defense of American freedom. Bush said yesterday that his NSA eavesdropping directives were "critical to saving American lives" and "consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution." After years of portraying an offensive waged largely overseas, Bush justified the internal surveillance with new emphasis on "the home front" and the need to hunt down "terrorists here at home."

snip

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/17/AR2005121701233.html

[Bumblebee]

1. It's a surprising strong analysis which is a very thinly-veiled outright

condemnation. Potent stuff!

[robbedvoter]

10. "Surprisingly strong" - testimony to our low expectations for MSM

We shouldn/t be surprised. The condemnation should not be thinly veiled. Our Constitution is hijacked in front of our eyes. They should be screaming out loud!!!!!

[Webster Green]

2. It is most important to uphold our Constitution during times like this...

It's a cop-out for a wimpy "leader" like the chimp to simply ignore the Constitution during these challenging times and assign himself the imperial powers of a king or a dictator.

It doesn't work that way in the US.

The chimp must resign, or be impeached NOW!

[Beetwasher]

3. Good, Front Page, This Story Must Launch Into The Stratoshpere

This is the line.

[Erika]

4. Does he think OBL is residing here?

He's an idiot to think Americans are threats. Why doesn't he turn up OBL?

[shraby]

Impeachment proceedings need to be started

now, not in a couple of months. Before he can do any further damage.

[OneBlueSky]

5. wartime powers? . . . has Congress declared war? . . .

according to the Constitution, they're the only body that CAN declare war . . . so Bush sure as hell can't claim "wartime powers" . . .

[TahitiNut]

6. He claims "war-making power" not just "war-time power."

The FISA clearly limits such pResidential powers to a war declared by Congress. It specificall uses words to that effect and, since it was written subsequent to the "War Powers Resolution," Congress very deliberately prohibits the the use of the limited additional FISA powers to a formally declared war.

This regime is a criminal cabal - beyond anything this country as seen.

[anitar1]

7. J. Edgar is cheering him on, from Hades. n/t

[cassiepriam]

8. This is why he wanted to be a war prez. Could become a dictator.

A blank check and no oversight.

[converted_democrat]

9. Good read. Thank you for posting...n/t

[seafan]

11. Remember, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

These egregious acts against our country will continue until the U. S. Congress throttles this dick-tator.


"If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." George W. Bush, December 18, 2000