Letters to the Editor
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A question about FISA--
Glenn--
I don't doubt that you're correct about the prior FISA law, but I'm confused by your assertion regarding the hypothetical call from Afghanistan into the United States.
The FISA statute allowed the president to authorize surveillance without a court order if the Attorney General certifies, among other things, that "there is no substantial likelihood that the surveillance will acquire the contents of any communication to which a United States person is a party."
Wouldn't a call into the United States fail this prong of the statute, regardless of who initiated the call or regardless of the "target?"
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@mentsmim
Wouldn't a call into the United States fail this prong of the statute, regardless of who initiated the call or regardless of the "target?"
I had the same question, but have been busy and forgot to ask it.
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C.I.A., LLC.
Gen. Hayden on Meet Tim Russert Show this morning: see our new Disclaimer Policy!
Furthermore, Gen. Hayden advised that although Congress (or some other quasi-gov. org.) may actually take away water-boarding from the CIA's 'play box of tools'[sic], he reserves the right to invent/create new methods for torture as circumstances may dictate. I'm pretty sure thats what he said.
Also, in response to Tim's direct question on WMD , al-queada terrorists, etc., Gen. Hayden said 'they got that wrong.'
And that was good enough for Tim.
bah.
ps;.bop aka good celery: i drink crocodile tears for breakfast. tang for astronauts. also, i've eat a lot of crow! :&
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@ mentsmin
FISA does indeed call for a warrant if a U.S. citizen is involved -- however, the law gives 72 hours after it is decided to wiretap to get the warrant. In other words, they could have listened in on the suspicious call under FISA. If a U.S. citizen was involved they could have gotten a warrant after the fact.
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The foreign calls....
The ones that make me nervous is the awareness a unknown caller may harbor a hidden condom in the back pocket.
The stateside trombonist-?-.
That one can annoy me also.
Especially, if as they harmonize,
they keep poking my dang flutist.
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FISA, cont.
I wasn't certain what qualified as an "emergency" situation. A call from a so-called "safe house" in Afghanistan would apparently suffice, yes?
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A New Investigation Into 9/11 Initiative is Underway in New York City Now for November Ballot
JulieAnna wonders:
"We really DO need to come together and call for a truly independent and thorough investigation into 9/11. The official story we've been fed just doesn't add up, and it would be so helpful to the cause if some of the more prominent bloggers would join in and openly call for one. I know quite a few regular readers, here, agreed with me before on this, and we were faced with opposition from others in comments who behaved as though demanding a new investigation was somehow offensive to them.
Glenn, don't just wonder why the administration didn't, as Mukasey suggests, obtain a warrant to listen in on 9/11-planning calls that supposedly originated from a safe house in Afghanistan. DEMAND TO KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED. Take that leap, join us in demanding answers. WE DESERVE TO KNOW HOW AND WHY 9/11 HAPPENED."
There is an on-going signature gathering drive in New York City right now to qualify the Initiative for a New Investigation into 9/11 for the November ballot. They have until mid-May to collect 45,000 signatures.
It would be great if Glenn Greenwald could write an article about the Initiative campaign there. Here's a link to their website:
http://www.nyc911initiative.org/
If you live in the NYC area, please get involved! They need signature gatherers!
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bahummingbug
No wonder. Oh, no eat black feathered raw bird crows.
The good will bird-shirt you wear is decorated with crocodile stains.
People look into your baa baa hum baa baa bulge bug eyeballs and despair.
Folk see bah-hum-bah, and bad omen sighs. Taxidermy stuff you with feathers.
People need more 21st century hope. They want 5-cents frankfurters with kraut.
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-- Pedinska
"Jebbie, are you part of the anti-nipple police state?"
Surely you jest.
Love,
Sam McGee
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@veteran novice
Yes, but this is what Glenn wrote in his post:
Even under the "old" FISA, no warrants are required where the targeted person is outside the U.S. (Afghanistan) and calls into the U.S. Thus, if it's really true, as Mukasey now claims, that the Bush administration knew about a Terrorist in an Afghan safe house making Terrorist-planning calls into the U.S., then they could have -- and should have -- eavesdropped on that call and didn't need a warrant to do so.
That is not accurate, I don't think. None of which is to say Mukasey didn't spew a boatload of lies -- and the 72-hr emergency provision still would obtain -- but it had been my understanding that if the recpient of an overseas call is a "U.S. person," a warrant -- before or after the eavesdropping -- must be obtained.
I hesitate to presume to correct Glen on anything FISA-related, since he a master on the subject, but I'm wondering if he didn't draft that part a bit poorly.
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BaruchOlam
You might try telling them about Kathryn Johnston..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Johnston
Ms Johnston was gunned down by police in a "no knock" drug raid, she was 92 years old, police lied about her having drugs to get a warrant and then planted drugs in her home after killing her.
If it can happen to Kathryn Johnston, it can happen to anyone.
Kathryn Johnston (c. 1914 - November 21, 2006) was an elderly [1] Atlanta, Georgia woman shot by three undercover police in her home on Neal Street in northwest Atlanta on November 21, 2006 where she had lived for 17 years.[2] She opened fire on the officers after they pried off burglar bars and broke down her door using a no knock warrant. None of the officers were injured by her gunfire, but Johnston was killed by the officers.[3][4][5]
Officers Gary Smith (b. 1968), Gregg Junnier (b. 1966), and Cary Bond (b. 1968), were wearing bulletproof vests and carrying riot shields when they were shot at. [6] It was later determined that Johnston only fired one shot, which did not hit any officers. The police officers fired a total of 39 shots, six of which hit Johnston.[7][8][9] Police injuries sustained in the raid were due to friendly fire and were not from Johnston's gun.
In an attempt to justify the no-knock warrant, the Atlanta Police Department initially claimed that the police were searching for drug dealers after a police informant was said to have bought crack cocaine at Johnston's home earlier in the day. However, both a federal and state investigation revealed that this was untrue. [10] In the affidavit police used to obtain a search warrant for Johnston's house, Atlanta, Georgia narcotics officers alleged their informant bought drugs inside Johnston's home earlier in the day from a man named "Sam", and that the home had video surveillance equipment justifying the no knock warrant. In an interview with Atlanta television station WAGA a few days after Johnston's shooting, the informant denied having gone to her house and said that after the shooting, the police pressured him to lie and say that he had.
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