Bush administration wants to protect "friends" from court
The proposed Foreign Affairs Surveillance Act of 1978 ( FISA ), which regulates electronic surveillance of both foreign organizations and citizens and citizens of America, is being proposed by the administration of the President of the United States. contrary to the basics of the concepts of civil rights and freedoms, human rights activists believe. A small 66-page document actively promoted in parliament by the Bush government contains, inter alia, a provision to fully protect telecommunications companies that assisted the FBI, CIA, and the NSA in investigating the attacks of September 11, 2001, against any kind of persecution of non-compliance with their activities as the original FISA, and the constitution itself.
Interestingly, the draft law in its current version implies the opposite effect, that is, it releases telecoms from judicial responsibility for all misdemeanors related to the American fight against terror. Actually, since October 26, 2001, when the famous USA PATRIOT Act came into force (a clever abbreviation, which is often replaced with the simple name “Patriot Act”), the US intelligence agencies cover all domestic allies with their wings, protecting them from attacks from other branches of government. Dozens of lawsuits that have been filed against telecommunication workers in recent years for unrestricted intrusion into the secrets of correspondence and telephone conversations using their technical means were rejected with reference to the need to protect state secrets.
It is necessary to clarify that the Patriot Act frees intelligence (mainly the "core" organization - the NSA) from the need to coordinate a wiretap with the FISA special court established in 1978. Previously, only this court, consisting of representatives of 11 different firms, could issue a warrant for total surveillance of citizens of the country.
After data leaked to the press in early 2005 that Bush gave the NSA and the FBI complete discretion in spying on its own population, the Senate reared and flatly refused to fix the Act’s provisions as permanent. After a series of minor revisions and extensions of its validity, it seems that, finally, from January 1 of next year, this law will disappear. And then the giants like AT & T and Bell, who feel themselves still in complete safety, will surely face an unpleasant prospect for a long time to get bogged down in processes whose history in America has not yet been equal to.
')
To, as quoted by Ars Technica, to prevent such an “injustice” in relation to its faithful allies, the government and tried to drag through a very slippery modification to FISA. In general, it does not seem so terrible, if you do not pay attention to the small, half a page, paragraph 408 under the title “Liability defense”, which stipulates an amnesty for telecom companies.
The outcome of the vote on these amendments is still not entirely clear. Despite the fact that many consider them to be the lesser of the evils, which will help (at least temporarily) to pacify the spies who have entered into rage, the democrats now holding both houses of parliament can in principle refuse the initiative of the republican government. Let not quite for the good of the cause, but certainly to support their candidates in the upcoming presidential elections for sure.
In any case, sharp-tongued journalists today do not stint on definitions like the “second Watergate” and are looking forward to a possible wave of revelations by government officials. Although the press is striving with no less zeal, seeking to whitewash the activities of the special services and the administration in every possible way. Such a press in modern America is still called “pro-American.”
Interestingly, the draft law in its current version implies the opposite effect, that is, it releases telecoms from judicial responsibility for all misdemeanors related to the American fight against terror. Actually, since October 26, 2001, when the famous USA PATRIOT Act came into force (a clever abbreviation, which is often replaced with the simple name “Patriot Act”), the US intelligence agencies cover all domestic allies with their wings, protecting them from attacks from other branches of government. Dozens of lawsuits that have been filed against telecommunication workers in recent years for unrestricted intrusion into the secrets of correspondence and telephone conversations using their technical means were rejected with reference to the need to protect state secrets.
It is necessary to clarify that the Patriot Act frees intelligence (mainly the "core" organization - the NSA) from the need to coordinate a wiretap with the FISA special court established in 1978. Previously, only this court, consisting of representatives of 11 different firms, could issue a warrant for total surveillance of citizens of the country.
After data leaked to the press in early 2005 that Bush gave the NSA and the FBI complete discretion in spying on its own population, the Senate reared and flatly refused to fix the Act’s provisions as permanent. After a series of minor revisions and extensions of its validity, it seems that, finally, from January 1 of next year, this law will disappear. And then the giants like AT & T and Bell, who feel themselves still in complete safety, will surely face an unpleasant prospect for a long time to get bogged down in processes whose history in America has not yet been equal to.
')
To, as quoted by Ars Technica, to prevent such an “injustice” in relation to its faithful allies, the government and tried to drag through a very slippery modification to FISA. In general, it does not seem so terrible, if you do not pay attention to the small, half a page, paragraph 408 under the title “Liability defense”, which stipulates an amnesty for telecom companies.
The outcome of the vote on these amendments is still not entirely clear. Despite the fact that many consider them to be the lesser of the evils, which will help (at least temporarily) to pacify the spies who have entered into rage, the democrats now holding both houses of parliament can in principle refuse the initiative of the republican government. Let not quite for the good of the cause, but certainly to support their candidates in the upcoming presidential elections for sure.
In any case, sharp-tongued journalists today do not stint on definitions like the “second Watergate” and are looking forward to a possible wave of revelations by government officials. Although the press is striving with no less zeal, seeking to whitewash the activities of the special services and the administration in every possible way. Such a press in modern America is still called “pro-American.”
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/7987/
All Articles