After the abuses of the 1960s and '70s, Congress passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act precisely to ensure that there would be an independent monitor, in the form of a secret court, on the government's domestic surveillance. That is the law that President Bush bypassed in authorizing the NSA to monitor the communications of Americans. We believe that the president's decision violated the law and exceeded his powers as president. If it did not also lead to the wrongful targeting of some American citizens, then the NSA operation would be a historical anomaly.
It is much tamer than the NY Times editorial, though it does contain concrete abuses of a similar DOD plan found by amongst others Walter Pincus. It's not as strong as it could be, but now the Times and the Post are on record as being more condemning, by far, than any broadcast network.
No comments:
Post a Comment