Secret Pentagon letters demanding financial records faulted (AP)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Secret Pentagon letters demanding financial records faulted

By KAREN MATTHEWS | Associated Press Writer
5:58 PM EDT, October 14, 2007

NEW YORK - An internal review by the Pentagon of hundreds
of secret letters it sent out seeking financial records of
individuals found the program lacked coordination and
oversight, according to newly released documents.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained heavily
edited copies of Pentagon documents through a Freedom of
Information Act request, said an analysis of 455 so-called
national security letters issued after Sept. 11, 2001 shows
that the Pentagon collaborated with the FBI to circumvent
laws, and may have overstepped its legal authority to obtain
financial and credit records.

Recipients of national security letters, including Internet
service providers, financial institutions and credit reporting
agencies, are generally forbidden to disclose to the
individuals under investigation that they have received
letters requesting financial records.

"Once again, the Bush administration's unchecked authority
has led to abuse and civil liberties violations," said ACLU
Executive Director Anthony D. Romero in a statement Sunday.
"The documents make clear that the Department of Defense
may have secretly and illegally conducted surveillance
beyond the powers it was granted by Congress."

No spokesman for the Pentagon was available for comment
Sunday.

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Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--pentagon-bankreco1014oct14,0,6454869.story

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Also: Pentagon Review Faults Bank Record Demands - NY Times

[ixion]

1. oh yeah, boy... lookie the Freedom, Liberty and Democracy that we got cookin'

:eyes:

[Eugene]

2. (AFP) Pentagon, FBI misusing secret info requests: ACLU

Source: Agence France-Presse

Pentagon, FBI misusing secret info requests: ACLU

Mon Oct 15, 3:38 AM ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The Pentagon has misled Congress and
the US public by conniving with the FBI to obtain hundreds
of financial, telephone and Internet records without court
approval, civil-rights campaigners said Sunday.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which has successfully
challenged key planks of US anti-terrorism legislation, said
it had uncovered 455 "National Security Letters" (NSLs)
issued at the behest of the Department of Defense.

Before the ACLU's challenge, the USA Patriot Act had allowed
the FBI to issue gag orders to prevent those receiving NSLs
-- usually Internet service providers, banks and libraries --
from disclosing anything about the request.

Beyond the gag orders, the ACLU said its analysis of the
letters showed the Pentagon and FBI had collaborated "to
circumvent the law" and "provided misleading information to
Congress" about the nature and reach of the requests.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071015/wl_afp/usintelligencejusticeinternet