Post by WaTcHeR on Jan 15, 2007 12:47:36 GMT -5
01.15.2007 - On Sunday morning, Vice President Dick Cheney confirmed a news report that the Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency were checking the financial information trails of hundreds of suspected terrorists or spies, including American citizens, but said that it wasn't against the law.
"It's a perfectly legitimate activity," Cheney told host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. "There's nothing wrong with it. Or illegal."
"It doesn't violate people's civil rights," the vice president continued. "And if an institution that receives one of these national security letters disagrees with it, they're free to go to court to try to stop its execution."
"The vast majority of national security letters are issued by the FBI, but in rare circumstances they have been used by the CIA before and after Sept. 11, according to a U.S. intelligence official," the Associated Press reports. "The CIA has used these noncompulsory letters in espionage investigations and other circumstances, the official said."
On Saturday, The New York Times reported that the "Pentagon has been using a little-known power to obtain banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage inside the United States, part of an aggressive expansion by the military into domestic intelligence gathering."
"The C.I.A. has also been issuing what are known as national security letters to gain access to financial records from American companies, though it has done so only rarely, intelligence officials say," Eric Lichtbau and Mark Mazzetti wrote. "Banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions receiving the letters usually have turned over documents voluntarily, allowing investigators to examine the financial assets and transactions of American military personnel and civilians, officials say."
One liberal blogger asks, "What's with all the military spying inside the US?"
"Maybe the Pentagon ought to spend more time gathering intelligence in Iraq and Afghanistan and leave the spying on US citizens to the FBI, DHS, INS, DEA, ATF and state and local police agencies," Digby writes. "I think they can handle the illegal wiretapping, mailreading and bank account tracking all by themselves."
On the other end of the political spectrum, a blogger at Right Voices writes, "I was surprised that the New York Times didn’t call it illegal."
Right Voice Peejz adds, "Note that this is a power that the Pentagon has! What troubles me about this is that I see the same problems that we had prior to 9/11. The intelligence agencies are not working together and the infighting is as strong as it was prior to 9/11."
"As usual, the left is in a snit!" Peejz continues. "Gee, big surprise huh?"
Another left-leaning blogger, Susan G. at Daily Kos, mockingly linked by Right Voices, told her readers to enjoy their weekend, and to feel free to "pop open a tall one," since now "the military won't storm your door."
"They're too busy poring over your credit card records and financial transactions, using the excuse of the strengthening of the Patriot Act," Susan G. continued. "Only traitors would object, remember? Because only traitors and other un-American types are concerned about civil liberties and privacy."
www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Cheney_on_domestic_spying_Theres_nothing_0114.html
"It's a perfectly legitimate activity," Cheney told host Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. "There's nothing wrong with it. Or illegal."
"It doesn't violate people's civil rights," the vice president continued. "And if an institution that receives one of these national security letters disagrees with it, they're free to go to court to try to stop its execution."
"The vast majority of national security letters are issued by the FBI, but in rare circumstances they have been used by the CIA before and after Sept. 11, according to a U.S. intelligence official," the Associated Press reports. "The CIA has used these noncompulsory letters in espionage investigations and other circumstances, the official said."
On Saturday, The New York Times reported that the "Pentagon has been using a little-known power to obtain banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage inside the United States, part of an aggressive expansion by the military into domestic intelligence gathering."
"The C.I.A. has also been issuing what are known as national security letters to gain access to financial records from American companies, though it has done so only rarely, intelligence officials say," Eric Lichtbau and Mark Mazzetti wrote. "Banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions receiving the letters usually have turned over documents voluntarily, allowing investigators to examine the financial assets and transactions of American military personnel and civilians, officials say."
One liberal blogger asks, "What's with all the military spying inside the US?"
"Maybe the Pentagon ought to spend more time gathering intelligence in Iraq and Afghanistan and leave the spying on US citizens to the FBI, DHS, INS, DEA, ATF and state and local police agencies," Digby writes. "I think they can handle the illegal wiretapping, mailreading and bank account tracking all by themselves."
On the other end of the political spectrum, a blogger at Right Voices writes, "I was surprised that the New York Times didn’t call it illegal."
Right Voice Peejz adds, "Note that this is a power that the Pentagon has! What troubles me about this is that I see the same problems that we had prior to 9/11. The intelligence agencies are not working together and the infighting is as strong as it was prior to 9/11."
"As usual, the left is in a snit!" Peejz continues. "Gee, big surprise huh?"
Another left-leaning blogger, Susan G. at Daily Kos, mockingly linked by Right Voices, told her readers to enjoy their weekend, and to feel free to "pop open a tall one," since now "the military won't storm your door."
"They're too busy poring over your credit card records and financial transactions, using the excuse of the strengthening of the Patriot Act," Susan G. continued. "Only traitors would object, remember? Because only traitors and other un-American types are concerned about civil liberties and privacy."
www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Cheney_on_domestic_spying_Theres_nothing_0114.html