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[Phys-L] Re: Warning: Don't ask for Library loans on Political Topics



"The funny thing is that a FISA warrant is already ridiculously easy to get --
it already makes a mockery of the Framers' intent, with no semblance of check
and balances. Therefore I'm amazed that any official would even be tempted to
bypass FISA procedures. It bespeaks both laziness and contempt for the rule
of law, to a mind-boggling degree."

Yes.



UPI: BUSH BEGAN WIRETAPS AFTER FISA COURT REJECTED REQUESTS

UPI - U.S. President George Bush decided to skip seeking warrants for
international wiretaps because the court was challenging him at an
unprecedented rate. A review of Justice Department reports to Congress
by Hearst newspapers shows the 26-year-old Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court modified more wiretap requests from the Bush
administration than the four previous presidential administrations
combined. The 11-judge court that authorizes FISA wiretaps modified
only two search warrant orders out of the 13,102 applications approved
over the first 22 years of the court's operation.
But since 2001, the judges have modified 179 of the 5,645 requests for
surveillance by the Bush administration, the report said. A total of
173 of those court-ordered "substantive modifications" took place in
2003 and 2004. And, the judges also rejected or deferred at least six
requests for warrants during those two years -- the first outright
rejection of a wiretap request in the court's history.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20051226-122526-7310r

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

NSA SPIED ON UN DIPLOMATS DISCUSSING IRAQ INVASION

NORMAN SOLOMON, COUNTERPUN ...


bc



John Denker wrote:

John Clement wrote:


BTW I
thought that not following the law was an impeachable offense, such as
administratively approving wire taps without a judge's approval.


Every official involved has committed a felony.
http://cryptome.sabotage.org/50usc-ch36.htm#50USC1809

Fox News has been pointing out that there's an exception for wartime.
Yeah, sure. Take a look at
http://cryptome.sabotage.org/50usc-ch36.htm#50USC1811
and decide for yourself whether it applies.


There's also civil liability
http://cryptome.sabotage.org/50usc-ch36.htm#50USC1810
which is interesting because they can't make it go away via "prosecutorial
discretion" nor even via presidential pardon.


As for impeachment per se: Given the current makeup of the House, these acts
would result in impeachment if there were a Democrat in the white house ...
but a Republican administration is unconstrained.

Elections have consequences.

==================

The funny thing is that a FISA warrant is already ridiculously easy to get --
it already makes a mockery of the Framers' intent, with no semblance of check
and balances. Therefore I'm amazed that any official would even be tempted to
bypass FISA procedures. It bespeaks both laziness and contempt for the rule
of law, to a mind-boggling degree.

===================

Remember always: Elections have consequences.



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