i know i feel safer

[Guest guest]

especially knowing intrepid FBI and NSA agents will be snooping thru those dens

of revolution and terrorism...bookstores and libraries...

readin is next to treason...

 

Deal reached to extend Patriot Act

>From Ed Henry

CNN Washington Bureau

 

 

Thursday, December 8, 2005; Posted: 1:15 p.m. EST (18:15 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Congressional leaders reached a deal Thursday to

extend key provisions of the Patriot Act, the government's premier

anti-terrorism law.

 

Under the deal, 16 provisions set to expire at the end of the year will

be extended for four more years, Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the

Senate Judiciary Committee announced.

 

The controversial U.S. anti-terrorism law passed in the months after

the September 11, 2001, attacks and expanded government surveillance

powers. The deal marks Congress' first revision of the law.

 

" There's no doubt about the need for tools for law enforcement to fight

terrorism both domestically and internationally, " said Specter, the

Pennsylvania Republican who led negotiations on the Senate side. " But

equally clearly there's been a need for refinement of the protection of

civil liberties and civil rights. "

 

Specter said the compromise bill was " not perfect " but " acceptable "

and

preferable to the alternatives -- the existing Patriot Act or no law at

all.

 

Negotiations had been stalled for months because of concerns that some

provisions may violate civil liberties and give the FBI too much power

to probe deeply into people's private lives.

 

After working around the clock, Senate and House negotiators agreed to

extend three controversial provisions for four years, instead of 10,

which was a key stumbling block.

 

The provisions include the two most controversial elements -- secret

FBI access to library and business records and roving wiretaps.

 

Roving wiretaps involve the use eavesdropping devices that prevent a

target from evading law enforcement officials by switching phones or

computers.

 

A " lone wolf " provision that sets standards for monitoring terror

suspects who might be operating independently also survived.

 

Some congressional leaders were concerned that if the provisions were

kept on the books for another decade, they would not have had an

opportunity to review any possible civil liberties violations.

 

But the deal reached Thursday would force law enforcement to seek a

court's approval before getting access to library and business records.

 

" Under existing law, a law enforcement agent could obtain these

records, unilaterally, on a declaration of relevance, " Specter said.

" The conference report now requires a judge to review a statement of

facts. And the court has to be satisfied that these records are

relevant to a terrorism investigation. "

 

Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat and the only senator to vote

against the original Patriot Act in 2001, called the agreement " a major

disappointment " and promised to do " everything I can, including a

filibuster, to stop this Patriot Act conference report. "

 

" Merely sunsetting bad law is not adequate, " Feingold said in a

statement released after the agreement was announced. " We need to make

substantive changes to the law, and without those changes I am

confident there will be strong, bipartisan opposition here in the

Senate. "

 

Other aspects of the law that allow suspects to be held without access

to lawyers have prompted numerous legal challenges.

 

Lawmakers have said they are trying to find the nation's comfort level

with expanded law enforcement power in the post-September 11 era -- a

task that carries extra political risks for all 435 members of the

House and a third of the Senate facing midterm elections next year.

 

 

 

Apocalyptic madness - Two-thirds of the world in sadness.

The other third is gone - insanity lingers on!

Crumbled cities in an aftermath of hate

No way to stop it 'cause now it's too late