US President George Bush has decided not to reauthorise the controversial domestic warrantless surveillance program for terrorism suspects and to put it under the authority of a secret special court, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said.

"The president has determined not to reauthorise the Terrorist Surveillance Program when the current authorisation expires," Gonzales wrote in a letter to Senate leaders.

"Any electronic surveillance that was occurring as part of the Terrorist Surveillance Program will now be conducted subject to the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court," Gonzales said.

The program, adopted after the September 11, 2001, attacks, allowed the government to eavesdrop on the international phone calls and emails of US citizens without obtaining a warrant, if those wiretaps are made to track suspected al Qaeda operatives.

Critics have said the program violated the US Constitution and a 1978 law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which made it illegal to spy on US citizens in the United States without the approval of the special court.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Critics have said the program violated the US Constitution and a 1978 law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which made it illegal to spy on US citizens in the United States without the approval of the special court.
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Problem is, you can't believe a word the asshole says!

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

To be clear, this doesn't mean that monitoring has been reduced.

This just means that the Bush Administration's illegal monitoring of domestic phone calls has now been made legal.

I'm way too tired to debate the ethics of that. But I just wanted to mention, that the eavesdropping program is still in effect. It's just legal now.

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------------------------------------------------------ Growing since 2006.
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...ed=1#post28734

It means that they have to do it legally now. Before they weren't going to the FISA courts (which was illegal) Now they have to.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

This is simply political capitulation on the part of Bush. He lost the election; he is throwing bones to pacify the hordes of chronic Bush Haters howling at the gates. I think he is conserving political capital for the donnybrook over the troop surge strategy....


IMO, "eavesdropping" is a good thing!

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If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT.
~ Frank Zappa ~

Liberty means responsibility, that is why most men dread it.
~George Bernard Shaw~

So you do not believe that we have a fundamental right to privacy?

If so then, that makes you lean more towards totalitarianism. Can you say Ziek Hiel?

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

I don't plan on making or receiving phone calls to or from overseas terrorists.
It's quite simple; I see no threat from US government as you do, curious, as you see no threat from the Muslim miscreants?
You are more worried about GWB than the US's self professed enemies.
Not me.
This is common sense security.....and too little of it.

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If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT.
~ Frank Zappa ~

Liberty means responsibility, that is why most men dread it.
~George Bernard Shaw~

The point is, there have been documented insidances where they have evesdropped on people who were calling overseas just to talk to family or friends.
Besides there is no excuse for violating the constitution or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Either one would be an impeachable act. Have you ever heard of Due Process? It's a provision in a funny little document we call the constitution.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn

Yes, and overseas terrorists and their US based contacts are not entitled to "due process", especially at time of war. (I wish we had a domestic program in place.)
This system will never be perfect, and hopefully it snares lots of these bad guys....
Of course, some mistakes will be made, but that is not a good reason not to do it.

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If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT.
~ Frank Zappa ~

Liberty means responsibility, that is why most men dread it.
~George Bernard Shaw~

Wavels, The US patriot act violates the Constitution on several levels.
So don't use that as your basis.
Any time that a president violates due process, the president is violating the constitution. Anyone who is in this country, good or bad are protected by the due process clause of the constitution. If that weren't true, then we would have trials for Illegal immigrants who break the law in this country.
Look Wavels, I'm not saying this because I hate bush, I am saying this because Bush Broke the Law.

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The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it. United State Constitution, Art. I Sec. 9 Par. 2

"Dissent is the Highest form of Patriotism" -- Howard Zinn