cannabisnews.com: Ashcroft Planning Trip To Defend Patriot Act 





Ashcroft Planning Trip To Defend Patriot Act 
Posted by CN Staff on August 12, 2003 at 20:16:56 PT
By Dan Eggen, Washington Post Staff Writer
Source: Washington Post 
Faced with growing public questioning of his department's anti-terrorism policies, Attorney General John D. Ashcroft plans to kick off a cross-country tour next week focused on defending the USA Patriot Act and other legislation as vital tools in the fight against terrorism. Justice Department officials said the series of appearances at more than a dozen stops from Philadelphia to Salt Lake City will be aimed at countering criticism from civil liberties groups and some lawmakers that authorities have gone too far in wielding anti-terrorism powers granted by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 
Much of the recent criticism has focused on the Patriot Act, wide-ranging legislation that dramatically strengthened the ability of the Justice Department and FBI to monitor people alleged to be terrorists or their associates. The legislation was easily approved by Congress in the weeks following the Sept. 11 attacks and has been praised by federal law enforcement officials as a crucial reform of outdated counterterrorism policies. But Ashcroft's travel plans underscore growing concerns within the Bush administration at increasing criticism from Congress, opposition from cities and counties across the United States and attacks from Democratic presidential candidates. More than 140 cities and counties, in addition to state legislatures in Alaska, Hawaii and Vermont, have approved resolutions condemning the Patriot Act and, in a few cases, refusing to enforce it. Justice officials were also blindsided last month by the House, which voted 309 to 118 to cut off funding for part of the law that allows the government to conduct "sneak and peek" searches of private property. The act comes up for review by Congress in 2005. "The decision has been made that it's time that we get out there and talk about the successes," said one Justice official, who asked not to be identified. "There have been a lot of mischaracterizations of certain authorities that Congress gave the Justice Department, and we need to set the record straight." The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Justice over one provision of the Patriot Act that allows the government to seize business, library and computer records without disclosing it has done so. "There's been a groundswell of opposition around the country to provisions of the Patriot Act that go too far in abridging civil liberties, and the Justice Department is finally reacting to this, " said Timothy Edgar, the ACLU's legislative counsel. Ashcroft and other Justice officials, including FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, have long defended the Patriot Act as crucial to the government's ability to monitor and halt would-be terrorists. The legislation lowered many of the legal walls that had prohibited criminal investigators and intelligence officials from sharing information, and strengthened the ability of FBI agents to conduct surveillance and physical searches in terrorism probes. Justice officials said yesterday that Ashcroft's itinerary has not been finalized, but would begin with a policy-focused speech in Washington on Aug. 19, followed by planned appearances in cities including Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Salt Lake City. During appearances on several Sunday television talk shows earlier this month, Ashcroft forcefully defended the Patriot Act and endorsed other changes in federal counterterrorism law. One proposal mentioned by Ashcroft would allow investigators to obtain administrative subpoenas in terrorism cases without the approval of a judge. The change is included as part of a broad package now in draft form on Capitol Hill aimed primarily, but not solely, at drug traffickers alleged to be engaged in terrorist activities. Source: Washington Post (DC)Author:  Dan Eggen, Washington Post Staff WriterPublished: Wednesday, August 13, 2003; Page A02Copyright: 2003 Washington Post Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.com Related Articles & Web Site:ACLUhttp://www.aclu.org/Ashcroft Pushes Anti-Terror Law Expansionhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16550.shtmlSteamroller Ashcroft - Economist UKhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16222.shtmlOn Terror and Spying, Ashcroft Expands Reachhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15729.shtmlAshcroft's Agenda - Baltimore Sun http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15484.shtml
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Comment #4 posted by TecHnoCult on August 14, 2003 at 08:43:15 PT
kaptinemo
"The so-called PATRIOT Act has only one goal, ultimately: the final destruction of all civil liberties in this country"I disagree. That is the ultimate result, not the intent. The intent is to give the AG and the President more power. Everyone thinks that if they are given more power, they can solve the world's problems. Unfortunately, to keep power, one has to silence those that oppose their approach. I say this because we need to keep our focus on removing power from the government and giving it back to us.THC
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Comment #3 posted by Petard on August 13, 2003 at 16:31:46 PT
The theme of the new decade
These are the years of fear and terror. We had the psychedelic 60's, the hippy 70's, the disco 70's, the New Wave/Punk 80's, the booming 90's, and now the Terror 00's. Terror, fear, terrorists, and strife, these are themes defining this decade. Everyone's supposed to be scared, it's a fad. From gangs and their violence to Al Queda, and our own U.S. Govt., it's all about using fear to motivate people. In the next couple of years I'll wager we'll see "9/11 Fire Sales" where safety products are featured at discount. Sick, sad, depraved world we live in here in the USA. The Crisco Kid and the AWOL Flying Liar will do their best to toss that old scrap of paper some call the US Constitution that's getting in their way of imperialism and world domination.  
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Comment #2 posted by goneposthole on August 13, 2003 at 12:28:34 PT
with any gambler's luck
Bill 'deal me in' Bennett will go along for 'moral' support. An extended stay in Las Vegas would be the cat's meow. Lots of heathens there to be saved by Brother John and 'Buffalo' Bill; A pair to draw to.
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Comment #1 posted by kaptinemo on August 13, 2003 at 06:21:35 PT:
Defending the indefensible
The DrugWarriors have been doing it for well on 90 years, so Ashcroft has plenty of hypocritical one-liners he can throw to the demi-conscious.The so-called PATRIOT Act has only one goal, ultimately: the final destruction of all civil liberties in this country, just as the economy gets worse and desperate people realize they were rooked and are now looking to get even. They won't care about such social niceties and being polite, good little sheep, standing silently and being fleeced via 'Enronization' of their jobs and children's futures. (As their "Betters" demand they keep doing, with the hoary old straw man of being warned - by the corporate mouthpieces of the rich, no less - not to engage in 'class warfare' to prevent the working class from acting in it's own best interests. This travesty of a 'law' voted on without the slightest debate is designed to protect The Haves from the mushrooming and dangerous growth of Have-Nots, who when the reality of the oil running out and all the economic baggage that accompanies it hits them, will be very angry, indeed.For a law purportedly aimed at terrorists, it sure seems to regard the people it is supposed to protect as if they were the enemy... 
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