I'm shocked.
Posted on 03/07/2008 3:46:01 PM PST by mad_as_he$$
According to FBI director, Robert Mueller, the FBI collected personal data by improperly using national security letters in 2006. The widespread abuse program to gather confidential data on people in the United States continued into 2006.
Mueller said Wednesday before an oversight hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee, that breaches of privacy in counter-terror investigations, which were known to have occurred from 2003 through 2005, also occurred in 2006.
A pending report will detail the FBI's continued misuse of national security letters.
The breach occurred in part, by banks, telecommunication companies and other private businesses giving the FBI more personal client data than was requested, according to Mueller.
The FBI's use of the letters has grown dramatically, mainly due to powers granted to the federal law enforcement agency under the USA Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law Congress approved after the Sept. 11 attacks.
(Excerpt) Read more at halflifesource.com ...
Let me just get this straight — Is this the same FBI that thoroughly investigated the downing of TWA flight 800?
I'm shocked.
There are many here on FR who do believe that the FBI does not abuse it’s powers.
I’m not in favor of giving the FBI ever increasing power unless and until they actually demonstrate that they’re sincere about locating, identifying and investigating *serious* threats to our national security.
I could care less about old-as-Hell press releases about D.B. Cooper and other cases that should just be closed as ‘unsolved’, but what the FBI doesn’t seem to understand is that they have finite numbers of employees, even smaller finite number of employees that are capable of studying, comprehending, and taking appropriate action on intercepted communications. Having said that, there are almost an INfinite number of electronic communications that take place each and every day and night, 365 days a year, and it is absolutely impossible to capture and review each and every one of those communications.
They can use word scanners, text sniffers, all sorts of stuff but the bottom line is still that there is too much data, and too few people able to review that data accurately and responsibly.
Iow, the FBI is no different than a tiny little rodent that thinks it’s going to eat an entire elephant.
Even if it can cook the elephant, how long is it going to take to digest the SOB?
I rest my case.
Mueller has kept a low profile and very seldom appears in the news or in political discussions. But I must say he seems to have done a LOUSY job. He has done nothing to deal with the chief problem of the FBI: clintonoids and leftists who abuse the rights of citizens but seem to have zero interest in the security of our country.
It is still basically bill & hillary clinton’s FBI, ready and waiting for their return.
Their cognitive functions seem largely dependent upon what party occupies the White House.
Sad but true. Oddly enough W failed to purge the Clintonistias from our Government but kicked all of the people in Iraq who knew how to run the country out of work.
Ummm... you don't think those institutions are not already selling that data to anyone willing to pay for it?
Without strict restraint every form of cop Fed, State, or Local. Their only purpose anymore is to further the opression of our government and collect taxes (fines). Not one LE organization in the country is worthy of trust anymore. I fear they will only be reigned in through armed revolt. Elected “leaders” sure as hell aren’t going to do anything but make show on this. See how many hearings this crap gets if Dems control congress and the White House. You haven’t even imagined what abuse can be yet!
This Bull $hit has to stop.
One way to stop it is simply to publish a list of names of all those people whose personal information was ILLEGALLY obtained, on the fraudulent basis of national security. Then those responsible need to be placed in jeopardy to pay any damages caused by their illegal actions.
The above says that it was the banks, telecommunications companies and other private businesses that caused the breach in privacy.
bookmark
I am as serious as you brother.
Read closely the Washington speak. "in part" how much 5 -25-50-90% I am willing to bet it is small fraction of the time. Everytime i have asked for data from a bank even with subpoenas they have provided the minimum.
Yes, read closely. That wasn't a direct quote from Mueller. Those were the reporters words.
But Bush and his cronies want to give them immunity for their crimes. Bush even said he wants to give them immunity for FUTURE crimes.
Then ALL the spy agencies can just claim the mean telecoms "gave us more than we asked for", and everyone is off the hook.
No independent body has done an audit of the FISA wire taps so we have no idea how much those are being abused. But you can bet it is at least as bad as the FBI abuses of the grossly misnamed Patriot Act.
If they weren't being abused, there is no need to change the law, since the 1979 law allows emergency wiretaps to last 15 days before the administration has to report who they tapped and why to the handpicked secret judge.
If they can't justify continued wiretapping they have to stop but they already have 15 days of information. They miss NOTHING because of the law. There is no reason to give them more power.
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