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BUSH Adamant About Protecting Telecoms
On Thursday and Saturday President George W. Bush indicated he is not giving up on House approved legislation providing immunity to those telecommmunications companies who assisted in spying on American citizens in the name of security.
The U.S. House has opposed legislation giving immunity to the corporations that participated in domestic surveillance of Americans. The U.S. Senate has approved a measure granting retroactive immunity to the telephone companies for their part in spying on American telephone calls.
Bush has repeatedly demanded the U.S. Congress provide protection from prosecution for companies such as AT&T and VERIZON for violating citizens’ privacy rights in the administrations program to fight terrorism.
Currently there are about 40 lawsuits are pending as a result of the legislation implemented since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States.
A temporary law expired last weekend which provided the government with expanded powers to track suspected terrorist communications wihtout a court order.
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Mr. President we think you need a lesson in what constitues security. PRIVACY is the linchpin of security.
We agree with House Democrats. The president is unnecessarily stirring up fears in the minds of the public.
We are assured by the words of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, who delivered today’s Democratic radio address response to the president’s fear mongering tactics:
“The expiration of the temporary August legislation does not endanger our national security. Well-established emergency provisions of the current surveillance laws are more than adequate to address any emergent threats.”
Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Kenneth Wainstein said last week when asked about the status oof the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) a law that has been on the books since 1978 with various amendments:
‘The directives that are in force remain in force until the end of that year. We’ll be able to continue doing surveillance based on those directives.”
Mr. President that means the orders can continue through 2009. So chill out. Eat a few bags of pretzels. Try to milk a horse. The intelligence community can continue to operate against our terror enemies.
AT&T and VERIZON get your wagons in a circle and call on your best legal minds for representation. You may have to appear before a secret court convened to detrmine the extent of your violations of citizens privacy rights.
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