What do you think about the judgment against Bush’s wiretapping program that was handed down?
The BBC reported that “A secret wiretapping scheme brought in as part of the Bush administration’s war on terror is unconstitutional and must stop, a federal judge has ruled.
The programme, approved by President Bush in 2001, allows for the monitoring of millions of US citizens’ phone calls abroad without the need for a warrant.
Civil liberties campaigners brought the case against the programme, which was uncovered by the US media.
The White House says the scheme is legal and is seeking an appeal.
In her 43-page ruling on the case, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit said that the surveillance programme violated protections on free speech and privacy.”
What do you think about this decision? The federal government is planning to appeal, do you think it will hold up in appellate court?
The whole article is at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5260892.stm in case you want to read the whole thing before answering.
I’m glad the court finally put a stop to what was obviously illegal activity. It’s black letter law for anyone who bothered to read the statutes.
Read 50 U.S.C. §1801 et al. Warrantless wiretapping is illegal if anyone US citizen or resident alien is a party to the conversation. Read 18 U.S.C. § 2511: Compliance with FISA “shall be the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance… may be conducted”.
And the court ruling has absolutely no effect on national security. None. Everything that was done illegally could be been done under the existing laws. It just would have required a bit more paperwork.
Bush wasn’t forced to choose between security and procedure. Read the laws. He just didn’t want to be bothered with them.
{EDIT} To all those people who keep asserting that Clinton was doing the same thing… first, cite your sources. Bald assertions like that with no references are meaningless.
Second, what does it matter. Just because one person breaks the law doesn’t mean everyone else should start ignoring the laws.
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