Daily Archives: February 26, 2008

Intel Pros Seeking Clarity On FISA

The battle over telecom immunity continues. Today a few major newspapers and other political hacks for the President published — knowingly and inaccurately — articles spreading misinformation regarding the expiration of the Protect America Act, while using the usual fear tactics to make us believe we are in grave danger. The blatant lies and BS continue to be slung as the president attempts to cover his ass.

Four former senior level intelligence officials, who have all worked with Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell in the past, sent a letter to McConnell seeking clarification on statements made by him and President Bush over FISA and telecom immunity.

The letter — which notes that it’s wrong to make telecom immunity “an immovable impediment to Congress passing strong legislation to protect the American people” — was published on the National Security Network Org. web site.

It was signed by former Senior Director for Combating Terrorism at the National Security Council Rand Beers, former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council Richard A. Clarke, former Deputy National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. Don Kerrick and former assistant general counsel at the CIA Suzanne Spaulding. Text of the letter can be found between the lines below followed by a handful of other links.

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FUD And The FISA Fallacies Continue

In typical fashion, the Bush administration continues resorting to political scare tactics — the usual use of Fear, Uncertaintly and Doubt (FUD) tactics in attempts to coerce House Democratic leaders and Congress — while the politicized ‘justice’ and ‘national intelligence’ departments continue making themselves look pretty pathetic.

Over this past weekend, the Associated Press published a story titled ‘Bush blames Dems on surveillance bill’ in which President Bush, during his weekly radio address, said House Democratic leaders are blocking intelligence legislation so lawyers can sue telephone companies for helping the government eavesdrop on suspected terrorists.

True to form, the Justice Department and the Office of National Intelligence corrected a statement made earlier issued by Attorney General Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence McConnell that the government had ‘lost intelligence’ because some companies had refused to initiate wiretaps against people covered by orders issued under the expired — due to the president’s unwillingness to extend it — Protect America Act (PAA).

President Bush wants retroactive immunity added to the PAA to keep secret illegal activities authorized and employed by the president secret and refused to allow anything else.

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