Concern grows over legislation that broadens spying power

Adam Doster

Published: Saturday August 18, 2007





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Intelligence legislation passed earlier this month is angering a growing number of critics who say an end-of-session scramble inadvertently gave the Bush Administration wider spying powers than previously thought.

According to Eric Lichtblau and James Risen of the New York Times, "by redefining the meaning of 'electronic surveillance,' the new law narrows the types of communications covered in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, by indirectly giving the government the power to use intelligence collection methods far beyond wiretapping that previously required court approval if conducted inside the United States."

The six-month amendment, which was rushed through both houses of Congress in early August, allowed for "the collection of business records, physical searches and so-called 'trap and trace' operations, analyzing specific calling patterns."

Some civil rights advocates suspect that the Administration made the bill's language "intentionally vague" in order to increase its ability to spy on Americans. Others think "the changes were the unintended consequences of the rushed legislative process just before this months Congressional recess."

While a senior intelligence official who has been involved in the discussions on behalf of the administration argues the amendment is only a way "to speed access to the communications of foreign targets, not to sweep up the communications of Americans by claiming to focus on foreigners," Democratic lawmakers might push for revision of the law as early as next month.

The entire article can be read HERE.



