WIRED NEWS: Patriot Act II Resurrected?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

Patriot Act II Resurrected?

By Ryan Singel

02:00 AM Aug. 21, 2003 PT

Congress may consider a bill that not only expands the government's wiretapping and investigative powers but also would link low-level drug dealing to terrorism and ban a traditional form of Middle Eastern banking.

The draft legislation -- titled the Vital Interdiction of Criminal Terrorist Organizations Act of 2003, or Victory Act -- includes significant portions of the so-called Patriot Act II, which faced broad opposition from conservatives and liberals alike and embarrassed the Justice Department when it was leaked to the press in February.

The Victory Act also seems to be an attempt to merge the war on terrorism and the war on drugs into a single campaign. It includes a raft of provisions increasing the government's ability to investigate, wiretap, prosecute and incarcerate money launderers, fugitives, "narco-terrorists" and nonviolent drug dealers. The bill also outlaws hawalas, the informal and documentless money transferring systems widely used in the Middle East, India and parts of Asia.

MORE AT: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,60129,00.html

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Been busy, and haven't had a chance to keep up. If this is a dupe, the Mods should feel free to delete it.

[yankeedem]

1. They don't quit, do they?

http://yankcardfan.tripod.com/patriot.pdf

I have archived the Patriot II draft at this site, beware, as it is over 7 meg. It would more accurately be called the "Constitution Eradication Act".

[DarkPhenyx]

4. Darn!

The draft you archived won't download. Curse Tripod for being a ghoul of the Republican party! :)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. But AssKroft said there was no PA2....

Could he have been lying?

[realFedUp]

3. they're hiding it in the drug bill

like all good junkies.