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View Full Version : Bush Wants Freedom To Tap Calls From Overseas Into U.S.



Gold9472
08-02-2007, 08:40 AM
Bush wants freedom to tap calls from overseas into US

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bush-wants-freedom-to-tap-calls-from-overseas-into-us/2007/08/01/1185647979273.html

August 2, 2007

AdvertisementTHE Bush Administration is pressing the US Congress for the authority to intercept, without a court order, any international phone call or email between a surveillance target outside the United States and any person inside the US.

The proposal, submitted by the Director of National Intelligence, Mike McConnell, would amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act so that a court order would no longer be needed before wiretapping anyone "reasonably believed to be located outside of the United States".

It would also give the Attorney-General sole authority to order the interception of communications for up to one year as long as he certified that the surveillance is directed at a person outside the US.

The Administration and its Republican Party allies on Capitol Hill have mounted a determined campaign to get the Democrat-controlled Congress to pass the measure before politicians leave Washington this week for the August recess, trying to portray reluctant Democrats as weak on terrorism.

The party favours a narrower approach that would allow the Government to wiretap foreign terrorists talking to other foreign terrorists outside the US without a warrant if the communication is routed through America.

They are also willing to give the Administration some latitude to intercept foreign-to-domestic communications as long as there is oversight by the court.