The Political Chase

Revised Army manual allows domestic surveillance

As Ronald Reagan said in 1980, “There you go again.”

New Mexico can add this to their list of supporting documentation for the Articles of Impeachment they are sending to Congress.

FISA, what FISA? With the swipe of a pen, President Bush and the Pentagon have violated the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). While the Pentagon’s illegal entry into domestic spying was not known previously publicly known, Mr. Bush’s sanctioning of the CIA and DOJ domestic spying has been well established.

The Army recently issued new manuals, and deleted key elements of surveillance policies and procedures.

Deep into an updated Army manual, the deletion of 10 words has left some national security experts wondering whether government lawyers are again asserting the executive branch’s right to wiretap Americans without a court warrant.

The original guidelines, from 1984, said the Army could seek to wiretap people inside the United States on an emergency basis by going to the secret court set up by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, or by obtaining certification from the attorney general “issued under the authority of section 102(a) of the Act.”

That last phrase is missing from the latest manual, which says simply that the Army can seek emergency wiretapping authority pursuant to an order issued by the FISA court “or upon attorney general authorization.” It makes no mention of the attorney general doing so under FISA.

Now, you can all rest easy, and there is absolutely no cause for concern, because Mr. Bush has said it’s no big deal.

Bush administration officials said that the wording change was insignificant, adding that the Army would follow FISA requirements if it sought to wiretap an American.

Just put that Constitution and the many volumes of United States Code in the waste basket. We don’t need those dust-collecting things anymore. And while we’re at, let’s send Congress home also. We can use all the money consumed by the Legislative Branch to help offset that little $1 billion per day expenditure over in Mesopotamia.

In this latest revelation, the Army has been sending national security letters to financial institutions demanding individuals’ financial records. Putting sarcasm aside, I think it’s about time we start taking some personal action to try and circumvent these blatant dismissals of the rule of law.

It may not be worth the paper I write it on, but I intend to write a letter tomorrow to every financial institution I do business with, advising them they may be criminally negligent if the financial institution releases any of my personal information to the feds that is not done within strict compliance to U.S. Code. If nothing else, it may make the banks stop and think. Yes, this probably sounds like an idea that only a wingnut would come up with, and it may be. That notwithstanding, until I can get an an opinion from counsel, that’s my plan and I’m sticking with it.