Lawmakers Ax Pentagon Surveillance Program

[Khephra]

Lawmakers Ax Pentagon Surveillance Program
Wed September 17, 2003 08:39 PM ET
By Vicki Allen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional negotiators agreed on Wednesday to kill most of a widely criticized Pentagon computer-surveillance program and block it from being used domestically as they approved a $368 billion bill defense spending bill.

The final bill crafted by negotiators from the Senate and House of Representatives would end the Terrorist Information Awareness program being developed by a Pentagon agency.

But parts of the program that would comb travel records, credit-card bills and other private records to sniff out suspected terrorists would be shifted to overseas intelligence programs, lawmakers said.

"It will only be used in foreign activities, offshore," Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, told reporters.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3463893

[Khephra]

1. kick

:kick:

[Robb]

2. Worthless semantics

Just means only CIA employees can use it, which is little comfort. While the Agency is forbidden by charter to operate as domestic law enforcement, the USA Patriot Act gave them the power to direct the FBI in domestic matters.

The FBI, similarly, can now legally give the CIA information (e.g. grand jury testimony or wiretap evidence) on American citizens without a court order, as long as the Agency can justify the action as part of an investigation of non-citizens. Which shouldn't be tough.