milicorn

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Attorney General resigns

The departure of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales could unlock the Bush administration's legal closet, bringing new details tumbling into the open about issues including the treatment of terrorism suspects, warrantless surveillance of Americans, and the administration's definition of official secrets.

here

Labels: Alberto Gonzales, Broad new surveillance powers, Financial Privacy, financial records, FISA, foreign intelligence surveillance warrantless wiretap, physical searches, SWIFT, Talon, tide

New restrictions would: --Give recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations the right to challenge a requirement that they refrain from telling anyone. --Eliminate a requirement that an individual provide the FBI with the name of a lawyer consulted about a National Security Letter, which is a demand for records issued by investigators. --Clarify that most libraries are not subject to demands in those letters for information about suspected terrorists. The legislation also takes aim at the distribution and use of methamphetamine by limiting the supply of a key ingredient found in everyday cold and allergy medicines. Yet another provision is designed to strengthen port security by imposing strict punishments on crew members who impede or mislead law enforcement officers trying to board their ships. New York Times Section 201 — Gives federal officials the authority to intercept wire, spoken and electronic communications relating to terrorism. Subsection 203(b) — Permits the sharing of grand jury information that involves foreign intelligence or counterintelligence with federal law enforcement, intelligence, protective, immigration, national defense or national security officials Section 204 — Makes clear that nothing in the law regarding pen registers — an electronic device which records all numbers dialed from a particular phone line — stops the government‘s ability to obtain foreign intelligence information. Section 207 — Increases the amount of time that federal officials may watch people they suspect are spies or terrorists. Section 212 — Permits Internet service providers and other electronic communication and remote computing service providers to hand over records and e-mails to federal officials in emergency situations. Section 215 — Authorizes federal officials to obtain "tangible items" like business records, including those from libraries and bookstores, for foreign intelligence and international terrorism investigations. Section 218 — Allows federal officials to wiretap or watch suspects if foreign intelligence gathering is a "significant purpose" for seeking a Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act order. The pre-Patriot Act standard said officials could ask for the surveillance only if it was the sole or main purpose. Section 223 — Amends the federal criminal code to provide for administrative discipline of federal officers or employees who violate prohibitions against unauthorized disclosures of information gathered under this act. Section 225 — Amends FISA to prohibit lawsuits against people or companies that provide information to federal officials for a terrorism investigation.

milicorn

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

0 Comments:

About Me

Previous Posts