Sep 11 2007
A FISA “Told You So”
Many of us have been trying to explain to the brain dead media that the NSA doesn’t target US citizens or domestic communications without a warrant from the FISA court. Never has and never did. So here is the administration telling the death, dumb and blind left one more time:
“Regardless of the type of communication being surveilled or the location where the surveillance takes place — FISA does not apply when the surveillance is targeting persons outside the United States,” Wainstein told a symposium at Georgetown University. “It does apply — and we have to get a court order — when the communications are domestic or when we target someone in the U.S.
The situation was always what to do when targetting a known terrorist and all of a sudden they contact someone here in the US – like what happened prior to 9-11 when we intercepted calls by 9-11 terrorists Atta, Shehhi and Hazmi. At that time the policy was to destroy the names and locations of those people in the US before passing on the intel. In a world where terrorists are trying to enter our country in order to kill us by the thousands, this kind of ignorance is not bliss. It is suicidal.
What changed after 9-11 was the FBI is now informed about who in the US is in contact with known NSA targets being monitored. The FBI now investigates and can use the NSA lead to gain a FISA warrant if it looks like the people in the US are indeed terrorists. Prior to 9-11 no NSA data could be used to gain a FISA warrant. And in fact, no FBI data obtained from an NSA lead could be used. That is how idiotic the law was, and how idiotic the people are who want us to go back to the days when terrorists, once they entered the US, where free to contact their masters overseas without worry.
Too bad neither Stratasphere or Wainstein is able to read a statute. Title 50 US Code, Chapter 36, Subchapter 1, Section 1802 requires a warrant, albeit in contorted language, if such surveillance may involve the acquisition of communications of any United States person.
Doesn’t say anything about target or subject, says “may involve the acquisition of communications of any United States person.”
As noted before, the sanctions for use of warrantles wiretaps under color of authority are up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000.00 fine PER WIRETAP. 1,000 warrantless wiretaps = 5,000 years in prison and a $10,000,000.00 fine.
sooth:
Thanks to idiots like you terrorists were able to come to this country and plan 9/11. They knew they could count on guys like you to protect them and you are still trying to make it possible for them to kill Americans.
And when it comes to this statute, as usual you are full of it. I do not know if you are stupid or if you just refuse to understand but if the US is spying on all these innocent people, where are they? Moron.
if the US is spying on all these innocent people, where are they?
They’re suing the telecommunications companies and the government as we speak, you pathetic dunce.
I notice you are totally unable to refute my analysis by going to the source materials, because that would require reading and cognition skills.
FISA did not prevent the government acting on intelligence in any way, so if you’re looking for the idiots who allowed us to be attacked, you might want to look to Mr. Bush, who ignored the memo titled “Bin Laded Determined to Attack Inside the US”, and Ms. Rice, who could only whimper, “No one could have imagined they would use airplanes”,. when of course, many people, including FBI agents, did.
In point of fact, Edward Dorn suggested the method in his short book “Languedoc Variorum: A Defense of Heresy and Heretics” in 1997, saying: “Hijack a Concorde with a kitchenknife would be the ultimate lo-tech solution.”
Yet, 9/11 happened. Exactly AJStrata’s point. Terrye’s absolutely right. Copperhead just cannot get it. What an idiotic law it is! Exactly this:
“Thanks to idiots like you terrorists were able to come to this country and plan 9/11. ”
Naaaahh. It was because the country was being run by a grunting baboon, too stupid and petulant to do his job, just like he has been his whole worthless life. It’s ok, though; cause the chances of another Republican being elected in 2008 are about, um, ZERO, and everyone thge loathsome Republican base knows it.
Naaaahh. It was because the country was being run by a grunting baboon, too stupid and petulant to do his job, just like he has been his whole worthless life.
Accurate summary of Clinton and his tenure in office. Thanks, Soothie.