Thursday, March 08, 2007

REPORT: FBI ABUSES PATRIOT ACT

The suspected abuse is apparent fact. This story is Friday's talker. According to an Associated Press report:
A blistering Justice Department report accuses the FBI of underreporting its use of the Patriot Act to force businesses to turn over customer information in terrorism cases, according to officials familiar with its findings.

The report, to be released Friday, also says the FBI failed to send follow-up subpoenas to telecommunications firms that were told to expect them, according to several government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the report by the Justice Department's inspector general had not yet been released.

Overall, the FBI underreported the number of national security letters it issued by about 20 percent between 2003 and 2005, the officials said. In 2005 alone, the FBI delivered a total of 9,254 letters relating to 3,501 U.S. citizens and legal residents.
The Patriot Act allows the FBI to issue such national security letters. Judicial oversight is nil; the FBI doesn't need a judge's permission, and it can demand customers records from many businesses, including Internet service providers and phone companies.

The FBI says the underreporting was unintentional. No foul, however, does not mean no harm.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is anyone surprised by this?

Anonymous said...

I have no issues with this...if you aren't guilty, don't be afraid.

John Stone said...

Anon 829 -- how do you know you're not guilty? You are not the one who gets to decide your guilt or innocence. Somebody else will do that ... somebody from the IRS, or FBI, or ATF ... you are not part of the decision-making process.

Anonymous said...

I think Anon @ 8:29 is right. As long as I have the freedom to choose between the 36" and the 42" teevee then my freedoms are intact. I mean hey my skin ain't brown and I don't worship at no mosque or nothin'.

Sheesh. That's some incredibly lazy thinking on display in your post 8:29.

Anonymous said...

If you are not a Muslim male between the ages of 18 and 35, rest easy. John, I'd say based on that profile, your file is safe.