Advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned that the Obama administration is seeking to expand the governments authority to carry out wiretapping under the auspices of national s...
Advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned that the Obama administration is seeking to expand the governments authority to carry out wiretapping under the auspices of national security.
The EFF points to the dismissal of its own litigation against the National Security Agency for the warrantless wiretapping, warning that arguments made in defense of wiretapping by Obamas Department of Justice are worse than Bushs.
EFF writer Tim Jones explains the arguments that were made by the DOJ in the Jewel v. NSA case:
First, they argued, exactly as the Bush Administration did on countless occasions, that the state secrets privilege requires the court to dismiss the issue out of hand. They argue that simply allowing the case to continue would cause exceptionally grave harm to national security. As in the past, this is a blatant ploy to dismiss the litigation without allowing the courts to consider the evidence.[...]
its the Department Of Justices second argument that is the most pernicious. The DOJ claims that the U.S. Government is completely immune from litigation for illegal spying — that the Government can never be sued for surveillance that violates federal privacy statutes. [...]
The Obama Administration goes two steps further than Bush did, and claims that the US PATRIOT Act also renders the U.S. immune from suit under the two remaining key federal surveillance laws: the Wiretap Act and the Stored Communications Act. Essentially, the Obama Administration has claimed that the government cannot be held accountable for illegal surveillance under any federal statutes.
In short, not only is the Obama administration actively defending and protecting Bush officials over illegal wiretapping, they are arguing in favor of expanding the practice and already seeking to protect themselves and any other administration past or present from legal challenge.
Watch a Keith Olbermann report on this story:
When dovetailed with recent announcements by Obamas Director of National Intelligence Admiral Dennis Blair, that the NSA is seeking to expand its power, a clear and disturbing picture emerges.
Blairs intention to encompass all electronic communications within the NSAs scope is a direct continuation of the policy under the Bush administration. Last year the former US National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell announced plans for cyberspace spying that would make the current debate on warrantless wiretaps look like a walk in the park.
The plan would mean giving the government the authority to examine the content of any e-mail, file transfer or Web search.
This is exactly the kind of thing we warned our readers of before Obama was elected. Instead of repealing the freedom stripping tools put into place by the Bush administration, Obama is continuing to use them and is even seeking to enhance them.
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Obama can kiss my ass. Fuck him and fuck the feds. Bunch of fucking assholes violating the very rights they say they protect. I'm not afraid of Muslims I'm afraid of the fucking government. If they keep spying on me and harassing me I will be left with no choice but to retaliate.
Fineman is right 4 the wrong reasons , Obama isn't creating more spying on people , bcs he needs the CIA / NSA for what he wants to do around the world . This authoritarian plan to spy on everybody (AT&T allows NSA to tap their system ) was planned before Obama took office , he knew what the score was and he's obviously on board or guess what ...HE WOULDN'T be Pres . Expanding War in Pakistan & Afghanistan , planned b4 he took office , " Volunteer Program " b4 too , & he gave them spying too
No wonder W approved of Obama after meeting with him...he probably realized he is just another tool like himself...used to bring about the NWO. Just shittin' all over our liberties and wiping their asses with the constitution.
And, you think pulling out the troops, and leaving Iraq in chaos and anarchy, before they've had a chance to organize to defend themselves is responsible? LMAO, Most argue that it would be completely irresponsible to leave the Iraqi people in ruin to defend themselves with no organized police or military, come on stupid, use some common sense.
We should have never gone to Iraq in the first place, but that doesn't make it OK to abandon the Iraqi's to defend themselves.
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This authoritarian plan to spy on everybody (AT&T allows NSA to tap their system ) was planned before Obama took office , he knew what the score was and he's obviously on board or guess what ...HE WOULDN'T be Pres .
Expanding War in Pakistan & Afghanistan , planned b4 he took office , " Volunteer Program " b4 too , & he gave them spying too
Because to most sensible people, you make no sense.
Exactly, and in the constitution it clearly states the fact that the President's most important duty is to act to protect Americans.......
We should have never gone to Iraq in the first place, but that doesn't make it OK to abandon the Iraqi's to defend themselves.
You're a dunce.