“The White House needs to tell the Pentagon promptly to destroy the records of protesters as required, within three months. It also needs promptly to tell the NSA to return to following the rules, to get the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court before monitoring Americans’ communications.”

Given the rest of the articles context is this not a bit weak kneed? The White House needs to tell the NSA what to do? In my reading there has been numerous references to the FISC being a joke and essentially rubber stamped everything anyway. I fail to see how the last paragraph would even begin to cause change even if it were plausible that “president” bush would be inclined.

Earlier today he was on TV defending the PATRIOT act renewal, and how secretly spying on US citizens was a good thing. I cannot imagine the same dolt would tell the NSA to knock it off, or go by the books. The last sentence of the article was probably best. We are a police state now. Not completely like WW2 era Nazi Germany but damn close while still retaining the thin veneer of democracy. Nothing is going to change this. Not a new president, not new congress, not unless we completely tear down the entire rotten edifice and rebuild anew.

This system we live in breeds people like the current “leader of the free world”. Bush is not the problem. Congress is not the problem. The Judiciary system and checks and balances are not the problem. Theyre only symptoms of a dying nation whose freedom and democracy was uncertain and ambiguous from the start. As long as the whole mess is still around there will be no major changes.

Nazuel @ 12/19/05 16:04:24

Since 9/11, the NSA has been full blast whether Mr Bush authorized them or not. They tell him what they’re going to do, on a need-to-know, and since he’s the rubberstamp man, he signs and stamps where he’s told to. Of course, he and his people can request that the NSA also eavesdrop on the Whitehouse’s specific political enemies too.

Backs are scratched. Feer teh C.O.G..

Continuity @ 12/19/05 16:19:50

Hey Shifty,

Thanks for keeping us all up to date with the Headlines regarding America’s Security services.

And Nazuel, although you may think that sending stuff to the FISC is a good idea, who do you think appoints all the represenatives on the Court?

Cheif Justice Roberts.

How many ‘offical’ warrants are refused? NONE. (more than a rubber stamp)

Those requesting a warrant have been asked to get more information, but of ALL get approved, eventually. Lastly, people forget that Bush Sr. created an appeals court for the FISC, in case you disagree, and feel that the only way to get more info is through this type of warrant. The situation in the US is bleak.

I personally feel this was Bush jr.‘s mission while in office. Nothing else besides the re-vamp of all of the US intelligence services. How do you think he has done?

I worry more about the idea of OSINT, and EPIC. (open source information, like phone books, and the E l P aso I ntelligence C enter which will be used to co-ordinate all that information)

Cheers!

on edit: F@%^ing TEXTIle!

scooter @ 12/19/05 16:32:30

and i feel Continuity is also right on the money. (Never Say Anything… NSA)

scooter @ 12/19/05 16:39:05

There are not many responses to domestic spying. Those who feel intimidated will keep quiet, making the data flow smaller and easier to sift through.

There is a lot of contention involved in datastream analysis. Opening the gates and saturating them in a deluge of data is the most appropriate response.

Plan ahead your Irak, North Corea and Iran vacations and inquire about anything there (encrypted of course … we’re spies aren’t we?) musical instruments, traditional dances, history, etc.

Those who have played online games know how much of a killer lag can be …. :-)

mikecimerian @ 12/20/05 09:47:53

I personally feel this was Bush jr.’s mission while in office. Nothing else besides the re-vamp of all of the US intelligence services.

Hmmm. Judging from Cheney’s remarks about Presidential powers today, I’d say the Mission was to increase the authority of the President, and while this revamping of intelligence services is a byproduct of that, I think executive power is the Ultimate Goal here. H06707
(‘in his view, presidential authority has been eroded since the 1970s through laws such as the War Powers Act and anti-impoundment laws.

“Watergate and a lot of the things around Watergate and Vietnam both during the ‘70s served, I think, to erode the authority I think the president needs to be effective, especially in the national security area,” Cheney said. But he also said the administration has been able to restore some of “the legitimate authority of the presidency.” ‘ ... )

eepicheep @ 12/20/05 19:34:28

Cheney Seeks ‘Unimpaired’ Presidential Powers: President Bush’s decision to bypass court review and authorize domestic wiretapping by executive order was part of a concerted effort to rebuild presidential powers weakened in the 1970s as a result of the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War, Vice President Dick Cheney said Tuesday.

ShiftShapers @ 12/21/05 13:40:36