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Wiretap Dance
Wall Street Journal on Line ^ | December 21, 2005 | RONALD KESSLER

Posted on 12/21/2005 7:45:48 AM PST by yoe

Ever since 9/11, the media and congressional critics have waged a relentless battle against President Bush for not doing enough to prevent the terrorist attacks. Now these same critics have begun a campaign against the Bush administration for doing too much to prevent the next attack.

The latest example is the New York Times revelation that after 9/11, Mr. Bush authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to intercept communications with an overseas nexus to uncover information about possible al Qaeda attacks. The fact that Mr. Bush bypassed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which lays out procedures for intercepting communications in terrorist cases, raises legitimate concerns. But it should be of more concern that al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations are trying to obtain nuclear and biological weapons that could wipe out major cities, kill millions of people and devastate the American economy.

[snip] But a delay of even an hour may have grave consequences.... A delay of five minutes could mean a critical piece of information is missed, or a terrorist may stop using that phone and use another phone.

[snip] The most fundamental way to stop the next attack is through inside information. As we now know, the 9/11 hijackers received instructions from al Qaeda operatives overseas through emails at libraries.... Waiting for the FISA court to approve an intercept could have meant that a chance to prevent the deaths of almost 3,000 people was lost.

[snip] This should not be a controversial measure.. The FBI has no interest in people's reading habits; the Patriot Act is simply a tool to prevent terrorism. In any case, more than four years after enactment of the Patriot Act, the FBI has conducted no searches at libraries using the controversial business records provision of the act.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: benedictarnolds; liberalssuck; liberalwanttokillus; terrorism; traitors
Don't use the mail - USE your phones and Fax's - Christmas or not the Patriot Act must remain in tact, Freep your elected; Freep all the creeps that would put the Gorelick Wall back up!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS THE PATRIOT ACT - MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!!!

1 posted on 12/21/2005 7:45:48 AM PST by yoe
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To: yoe

Ahhhhhh, now you have done it. Beware the flames coming from the moonbat libertarians and civil liberties bitches....


2 posted on 12/21/2005 7:50:08 AM PST by misterrob
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To: yoe

And don't forget a "Pro American Senate"!!


3 posted on 12/21/2005 7:51:08 AM PST by Sybeck1 (Dr. Adrian Rogers, September 12, 1931 - November 15, 2005)
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To: misterrob

I thought an EO passed under Reagan allowed this kind of tracking of potential trouble. That's over 20 years ago.
Just now the media wants to cut off any way of preventing another 9/11.
Makes me wonder just how short the attention span and memory of each member of the media really is. Do they not remember anything???


4 posted on 12/21/2005 7:58:18 AM PST by ridesthemiles (ridesthemiles)
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To: yoe

Bravo!! Well said!!


5 posted on 12/21/2005 8:00:17 AM PST by GeorgeW23225 ("Grow your own dope. Plant a liberal")
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To: GeorgeW23225

Illegal wiretaps from all these presidents? Shameful at best. I guess we don't need laws. Just let the president and others decide what is best for us.


6 posted on 12/21/2005 8:02:48 AM PST by silentknight
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To: silentknight

And then you get to sit around and gripe when our enemies attack us.


7 posted on 12/21/2005 8:10:21 AM PST by misterrob
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To: yoe
I can't wait to see the upcoming season of "24", the Fox TV series built around a mythical "CTU" (Counter Terrorist Unit) that follows the action of a national security crisis hour by hour over the course of a single day.

I understand that within the first five minutes of the first show, a CTU analyst develops a lead to a possible attack on American soil that will dwarf 9/11. Then, for the rest of that episode and over the course of the next 23 episodes, we get to watch the CTU staff members sitting around, playing Solitaire and poker, cleaning the spam out of their email inboxes, watching TV soap operas, downloading MP3s and porn, and otherwise passing the time until the FISA court authorises their next communications intercept.

8 posted on 12/21/2005 8:21:16 AM PST by The Electrician ("Government is the only enterprise in the world which expands in size when its failures increase.")
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To: The Electrician
Good point. We know Jack will go medieval on someone instead.
9 posted on 12/21/2005 8:23:54 AM PST by Sybeck1 (Dr. Adrian Rogers, September 12, 1931 - November 15, 2005)
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To: yoe

And, now, one of the judges, a Clintoon appointee, has quit the FISA court in protest. This story is gonna go on and on! Damn!


10 posted on 12/21/2005 8:36:07 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: silentknight

i would rather GWB decide whats best for my saftey than YOU!
all the folks on these threads whinning about loss of civil liberties have yet to cite a criminal abuse.
if you are that terrified of big brother, don't pass a sobriety check point or go through customs.

WWWHHHAAAAAAAAAA!


11 posted on 12/21/2005 4:45:20 PM PST by 537cant be wrong (vampires stole my lunch money !)
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