FBI seeks expanded search powers

WASHINGTON - FBI Director Robert Mueller on Tuesday asked lawmakers to expand the bureauâ??s ability to obtain records without first asking a judge, and he joined Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in seeking that every temporary provision of the anti-terrorism Patriot Act be renewed.

â??Now is not the time for us to be engaging in unilateral disarmamentâ?� on the legal weapons now available for fighting terrorism, Gonzales, for his part, told senators.

He said that some of the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act have proven invaluable in fighting terrorism and aiding other investigations. â??Itâ??s important that these authorities remain available,â?� Gonzales told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mueller said sections of the law that allow intelligence and law enforcement agencies to share information are especially important.

â??Experience has taught the FBI that there are no neat dividing lines that distinguish criminal, terrorist and foreign intelligence activity,â?� Mueller said in his prepared testimony.

He also asked Congress to expand the FBIâ??s administrative subpoena powers, which allow the bureau to obtain records without approval or a judge or grand jury.

"For many years, the FBI has had administrative subpoena authority for investigations of crimes ranging from drug trafficking to health care fraud to child exploitation," he stated. "Yet, when it comes to terrorism investigations, the FBI has no such authority."


15 provisions at stake
The Patriot Act is the post-Sept. 11 law that expanded the governmentâ??s surveillance and prosecutorial powers against suspected terrorists, their associates and financiers. Most of the law is permanent, but 15 provisions will expire in December unless renewed by Congress.

On the same day Gonzales was speaking to the Senate committee, Sens. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., planned to reintroduce legislation designed to curb major parts of the Patriot Act that they say went too far.

â??Cooler heads can now see that the Patriot Act went too far, too fast and that it must be brought back in line with the Constitution,â?� said Gregory Nojeim, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Unionâ??s Washington legislative office.

The ACLU is part of an unusual coalition of liberal and conservative groups, including the American Conservative Union, that have come together in a joint effort to lobby Congress to repeal key provisions of the Patriot Act.

'Library provision' is controversial
Among the controversial provisions is a section permitting secret warrants for â??books, records, papers, documents and other itemsâ?� from businesses, hospitals and other organizations.

That section is known as the â??library provisionâ?� by its critics. While it does not specifically mention bookstores or libraries, critics say the government could use it to subpoena library and bookstore records and snoop into the reading habits of innocent Americans.

Gonzales told lawmakers Tuesday the provision has been used 35 times, but never to obtain library, bookstore, medical or gun sale records.

But the criticism has led five states and 375 communities in 43 states to pass anti-Patriot Act resolutions, the ACLU says.

Even some Republicans are concerned. Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has suggested it should be tougher for federal officials to use that provision.

Gonzales already has agreed to two minor changes to the provision, and was expected to support giving someone who receives a secret warrant under the provision the right to consult a lawyer and challenge the warrant in court. He was expected to also back slightly tightening the standard for issuing subpoenas.

Bigger concerns
Neither change addresses the central concern of opponents, which is that it allows the government to seize records of people who are not suspected terrorists or spies.

Critics say the law allows the government to target certain groups, but the Justice Department counters that no Patriot Act-related civil rights abuses have been proven.

Just in case, Craig and Durbin want Congress to curb both expiring and nonexpiring parts of the Patriot Act, including the expiring â??libraryâ?� provision and â??sneak and peekâ?� or delayed notification warrants. Those warrants â?? which will not expire in December â?? allow federal officials to search suspectsâ?? homes without telling them until later.

The Justice Department said federal prosecutors have asked for 155 such warrants since 2001.

That's just two-tenths of one percent of all search warrants, but their use is growing. The warrants were sought 47 times between the time the law was passed and April of 2003. Since then, it's been invoked 108 times.

Gonzales also notes that the law has been used in non-terrorism cases. For example, federal officials used it to track over the Internet a woman who ultimately confessed to strangling a pregnant woman and cutting the fetus from her womb.

And such searches have been allowed for years in drug and organized crime cases.

The Associated Press and NBC's Pete Williams contributed to this report.




Peace

The Patriot act is long as hell. Just paging through it takes a couple minutes. I don't really like the act too much. Mabey it would be okay if it was temporary , being valid until the end of the war, because the government shoulden't be able to go into your home without your permission.

The reason why the new terror laws wern;t passed in the uk is beciuase there was no sun set clause. The opposistion wanted the laws reviewed yearly but Mr Blair(asshole) wudn;t compromise. He'll get them passed tho, one way or another, that is for sure.



Peace

The "war" on terror cannot be won as its fighting a tactic not an actual enemy, its like fighting a war on The blitzkrieg, its a military strategy not a tangible thing. So the war will never be over so even if the patriot act said "This will be defunct when the war on terror is over" it would never be defunct as any future president or powermonger (meh same thing) would just say we havent won the war on terror. It's a catch 22.

The war on terror is an ideological construct. "Terror" is defined as anything we say they may do, to put it roughly. In any event what is opposed is not 'terror' in itself, but obstacles towards empire.

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Originally Posted by ihateapplesandsalt

The war on terror is an ideological construct. "Terror" is defined as anything we say they may do, to put it roughly. In any event what is opposed is not 'terror' in itself, but obstacles towards empire.

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what a dream world you live in.

What do you mean dream world? The presdident himself said if your not with us, your against us.

Btw bush can suck my nob, that dirty would be dictator, capitalist, pussy, son of a bitch.

I just had to let that out, sorry for the outburst. =P

:cool:

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Originally Posted by Edgar

What do you mean dream world? The presdident himself said if your not with us, your against us.

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so what?that is an accurate statement!

THE FUCK IT IS! Just because I dont support bush's bullshit war, and his slicing and dicing of the constitution doesn't mean im against America! I am a fuckin american and i take personal fuckin offence, when a dipshit spoiled bitch boy like him, says I am against the US. He's a greedy fuck, and i dont believe for one second he has a real patriotic bone in his body.

Yes amsterdam the world is black and white no shades of grey....Now who's living in a dream world....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Edgar

THE FUCK IT IS! Just because I dont support bush's bullshit war, and his slicing and dicing of the constitution doesn't mean im against America! I am a fuckin american and i take personal fuckin offence, when a dipshit spoiled bitch boy like him, says I am against the US. He's a greedy fuck, and i dont believe for one second he has a real patriotic bone in his body.

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Well first, I don't have a patriotic bone in my body and am quite opposed to patriotism. It's a completely irrational disorder. Could you please clarify for me what exactly it means to "hate america"? I don't hate the land mass or the people. What I hate is the american empire. Also, if you could clarify how I'm greedy. Further, I'd like to know what exactly your critique and analysis of 'bush's bullshit war' is if you deny the existence of the american empire.

? i wasn't callin u greedy, i was talkin bout bush and his support of the "patriot" act, and was reponding to amsterdams comment. (sorry if i didn't make that clear, i was sorta angry at the time.) I didn't deny the existence of an "american empire" though thats not exactly what id call it, its not quite an empire just yet, though it does have military bases stationed strategically all over the world.

Thank you Edgar, I agree with your statements. I remeber when I was just a wee little lad watching Desert Storm (I) on T.V. and George Bush Jr. had his Desert Storm G.I. Joe pajamas on while mommy tucked him in. But now He's a big boy and can go to the potty all by himself.

I was much older when I was first potty trained, but then agian I wasen't into GI Joe, I was into Cobra. You ever seen the Cobra leader on GI Joe? He had no face. Hymm? Kinda like Mohammad, The Illiterate porphet with no face.
Cobraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

www.hasro.com/gijoe/default.cfm

The Cobra Commander.

in real life I am very similar to the man in these photos...

the war is right on,we had every right to do what we did.no other country is gonna stand up and do what needs to be done(money).it's sad you arent patriotic,this country is BALLIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!sucks for you,i am doing relly well,own my own home in willmette i,Illinois(jackpot!you will grow up someday and see you can do and say anything you want round here son.WHAT!!!!!!!!!ballin over here!!what do you have>>

Ahhh Amsterdam, after returning from my travels its good to see you still roaming around with your head in a bag!
Hows it going man? Still seeing a world in monochrome, assisted by that man in the nice white house lol!!!?

Come on all you Americans! Cant you tell that if you not like Amsterdam, clearly you are not patriotic!! LOL!!!!

Shit Amsterdam, wish I'd known you were where you are sooner, we could have met in one of Chicagos 40+ Hooters bars and had a drink a few weeks ago when I was over. Dammit that place is cultured! Another day.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Funken Monken

Ahhh Amsterdam, after returning from my travels its good to see you still roaming around with your head in a bag!
Hows it going man? Still seeing a world in monochrome, assisted by that man in the nice white house lol!!!?

Come on all you Americans! Cant you tell that if you not like Amsterdam, clearly you are not patriotic!! LOL!!!!

Shit Amsterdam, wish I'd known you were where you are sooner, we could have met in one of Chicagos 40+ Hooters bars and had a drink a few weeks ago when I was over. Dammit that place is cultured! Another day.....

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we should have met up!!i have never been to hooters but the ghost bar downtown is great!

all people wanna do is cry about america this or that.we run the show,

Thats right mate, you run the show, yes, of course you do. There's a good boy!!

LOL!!!!!

That show you are running by the way....let me guess....its the muppet Show!