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I was surprised that the New York Times didn’t call it illegal.
The Pentagon has been using a little-known power to obtain banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage inside the United States, part of an aggressive expansion by the military into domestic intelligence gathering.
The C.I.A. has also been issuing what are known as national security letters to gain access to financial records from American companies, though it has done so only rarely, intelligence officials say.
Note that is is a power that the Pentagon has! What troubles me about this is that I see the same problems that we had prior to 9/11. The intelligence agencies are not working together and the infighting is as strong as it was prior to 9/11. In this case though, the House and Senate Intelligence Committees has been briefed on all of this:
Military intelligence officers have sent letters in up to 500 investigations over the last five years, two officials estimated. The number of letters is likely to be well into the thousands, the officials said, because a single case often generates letters to multiple financial institutions. For its part, the C.I.A. issues a handful of national security letters each year, agency officials said. Congressional officials said members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees had been briefed on the use of the letters by the military and the C.I.A.
Military officials say the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, which establishes procedures for government access to sensitive banking data, first authorized them to issue national security letters. The military had used the letters sporadically for years, officials say, but the pace accelerated in late 2001, when lawyers and intelligence officials concluded that the Patriot Act strengthened their ability to use the letters to seek financial records on a voluntary basis and to issue mandatory letters to obtain credit ratings, the officials said.
As usual, the left is in a snit! Gee, big surprise huh?
Bark Bark Woof Woof, Daily Kos, jules crittenden, Prairie Weather, Brilliant at Breakfast, Liberal Values and Balloon Juice Digby / Hullabaloo: Open Your Wallet And Show Us What You’ve Got
January 14, 2007 - 08:15 AM on January 14th, 2007
[...] Indeed, as near as I can tell from Technorati and Memeorandum, the only rightie blogger commenting on this story as of yet is this one, who says what the Pentagon is doing is “all perfectly legal,” and adds, “As usual, the left is in a snit! Gee, big surprise huh?” [...]
January 14, 2007 - 01:44 PM on January 14th, 2007
How long, 2009?
We need a new president, executive branch.
This one BLOWS.
January 14, 2007 - 02:32 PM on January 14th, 2007
Only a Liberal, anti-war, hate-America President and Administration can succeed! I’d say bring back our most respected icon, Jimmy Carter, but frankly he’s a little too old.
But the point is well taken, San Francisco Liberal. And you are exactly right: the voters recently mandated Liberalism, Socialism, and Progressivism. It is the will of the people!
January 14, 2007 - 03:29 PM on January 14th, 2007
Re 1:
If you read the article, you may find this intersint:
“Military officials say the Right to Financial Privacy Act of 1978, which establishes procedures for government access to sensitive banking data, first authorized them to issue national security letters.”
Bush was not President in 1978. Care to contemplate who was?
I didn’t think so.
January 14, 2007 - 04:46 PM on January 14th, 2007
S.F Lib must have brains walnut sized becuase they spend too much time sitting in the hills lotus style whole going OOOMMM OOOMMM OOOMMM or howling like a wolf when the full moon rises:razz:
January 14, 2007 - 05:43 PM on January 14th, 2007
Liberals in a snit?
Well, count me, an Eisenhower Republican, as greatly disturbed over this issue. I also believe Ben Franklins comment on giving up liberty for “security”.
I understand FISA. Does this “Right to” Financial Privacy Act of 1978 have independent oversight? If not, why not? Why is the new right wing so ignorant about governmental abuses?
I see so many parallels with “socialist party” in Germany in the ’30s and the lately styled “Republican party”.
January 14, 2007 - 07:42 PM on January 14th, 2007
5-I understand FISA. Does this “Right to” Financial Privacy Act of 1978 have independent oversight? If not, why not? Why is the new right wing so ignorant about governmental abuses? I guess you just overlooked or are too old to pay attention to the portion of the article that clearly states: Congressional officials said members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees had been briefed on the use of the letters by the military and the C.I.A.