cannabisnews.com: Tough Anti-Terror Campaign Pledged 





Tough Anti-Terror Campaign Pledged 
Posted by FoM on October 25, 2001 at 21:52:29 PT
By Dan Eggen, Washington Post Staff Writer
Source: Washington Post
Attorney General John D. Ashcroft yesterday promised an aggressive campaign to detain and prosecute even minor lawbreakers in the Justice Department's fight against terrorism, comparing the effort to Robert F. Kennedy's campaign against organized crime in the 1960s.In an unusually forceful speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors here, Ashcroft said Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents will use new anti-terrorism legislation to unleash broad surveillance and searches on suspected terrorists and their associates, and will not shrink from using minor crimes or immigration violations to jail or deport them.
"Let the terrorists among us be warned," Ashcroft said. "If you overstay your visas even by one day, we will arrest you. If you violate a local law, we will . . . work to make sure that you are put in jail and . . . kept in custody as long as possible. We will use every available statute. We will seek every prosecutorial advantage. We will use all our weapons within the law and under the Constitution to protect life and enhance security for America."Though somewhat less far-reaching than the legislation Ashcroft had proposed, the landmark anti-terrorism bill would dramatically expand the FBI's wiretapping and electronic surveillance authority and impose stronger penalties for harboring or financing terrorists. It also redefines some terrorist acts and increases the punishment for them.The bill, proposed five days after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington, was approved by the Senate yesterday, 98 to 1. The House overwhelmingly approved it Wednesday, and President Bush is expected to sign it today."These laws will help ensure that Americans will never be violated in the way we were on September 11," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee.But Sen. Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), the only senator to oppose the bill, and civil liberties advocates said the package infringes on individual rights.http://www.senate.gov/~feingold/The bill would allow "roving wiretaps" in intelligence investigations covering multiple telephones, expand electronic surveillance powers to allow easier monitoring of e-mail and Internet traffic, and would permit agencies such as the FBI to easily share grand jury and wiretap information with intelligence agencies.Immigration officials could also hold non-citizens certified by the attorney general as suspected terrorists for as long as seven days before charging them. Ashcroft originally had sought to make the time period indefinite."These new and unchecked powers could be used against American citizens who are not under criminal investigation, immigrants who are here within our borders legally, and also against those whose First Amendment activities are deemed to be threats to national security by the attorney general," said Gregory T. Nojeim, associate director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Washington office.But Ashcroft, in declaring "a new era in America's fight against terrorism," said the bill will allow "airtight surveillance" of terrorist networks and will enable U.S. authorities to disrupt plans for further attacks.He said he will issue guidelines immediately after the bill's signing to all U.S. attorneys and FBI field offices allowing them to start seeking court orders for wiretaps, nationwide search warrants, Internet monitoring and other surveillance to tighten the net on suspected terrorists.Department officials yesterday characterized Ashcroft's speech as a change in direction at Justice, which since Sept. 11 has made prosecuting terrorists and preventing additional attacks its top priority. The FBI is considering an internal reorganization to focus more resources on counterterrorism efforts, several officials have said.The attorney general's hard-edged statements differed markedly in tone from many of his previous comments on detention. Ashcroft has generally spoken about the increasing number of detainees in more measured terms, stressing that they were being treated fairly and were all accused of some wrongdoing.Nearly 1,000 people have been detained so far, though an unknown number have been released. FBI officials have said that fewer than 10 of the detainees are suspected of having substantive ties to the hijacking plot, and civil liberties advocates have questioned whether prosecutors and the FBI are abusing their authority.But Ashcroft forcefully defended the tactics yesterday, saying that he -- a conservative Republican -- would take inspiration from Kennedy, a Democrat and a former attorney general who used arcane statutes in pursuit of suspected organized crime figures. Ashcroft noted that in one case, two suspected mobsters -- a father and son -- were charged with lying on a home loan application."Some will ask whether a civilized nation, a nation of law and not of men, can use the law to defend itself from barbarians and remain civilized," Ashcroft said. "Our answer unequivocally is yes. Yes, we will defend civilization. And, yes, we will preserve the rule of law, because it is that which makes us civilized."In a background briefing with reporters yesterday, two Justice Department officials said the legislation, combined with Ashcroft's statements, signal a significant change in attitude and direction for federal prosecutors.One official said the pursuit of Al Capone, who was prosecuted on tax charges, and other mobsters would provide a template for the department's approach to terrorists and their accomplices."If we are dealing with people who are potentially linked to terrorists, we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," the official said. "We don't care if it's chump change." Note: Ashcroft Vows to Use New Law. Source: Washington Post (DC) Author: Dan Eggen, Washington Post Staff WriterPublished: Friday, October 26, 2001; Page A01Copyright: 2001 The Washington Post Company Contact: letterstoed washpost.comWebsite: http://www.washingtonpost.comRelated Articles:Pentagon Makes Rush Order For Technologyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11189.shtmlFAA May Start Using Scanner That Looks Inside Bodyhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11188.shtmlHouse Passes Sweeping Anti-Terrorism Bill http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread11173.shtml
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Comment #6 posted by Sam Adams on October 26, 2001 at 06:25:28 PT
I saw Ashcroft on CNN....
Making all these statements. Pretty funny, the guy is a HORRIBLE speaker, kept "ummm"ing and hesitating, had to look down at his documents for every phrase. His overall ignorance was pretty apparent. Doesn't this guy look like he just changed out of the KKK Grand Wizard outfit backstage before coming out? Seriously
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Comment #5 posted by qqqq on October 26, 2001 at 04:01:58 PT
dont drop the soap
"These laws will help ensure that Americans will never be violated in the way we were on September 11," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch.."..."...You'll never be violated in that way again son...no airliner is gonna hit the building.....dont be afraid. ..nothing to worry about..........OK,,,,now,,,bend over."
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Comment #4 posted by xxdr_zombiexx on October 26, 2001 at 03:44:47 PT
Terrorist Networks
***..."a new era in America's fight against terrorism," said the bill will allow "airtight surveillance" of terrorist networks and will enable U.S. authorities to disrupt plans for further attacks.*** Ashcroft.***"These laws will help ensure that Americans will never be violated in the way we were on September 11," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee.**I'll bet another box of donuts that "terrorist networks" will become the term used by our Fascist Law Enforcement to mean "friendly associations of cannabis culture members: persons who promote cannabis and those who seek to stay supplied and to defray costs by purchasing in bulk amongst themselves".These will be the new terrorists to be detained without reason. Tom Crosslin might just still be secretly in jail now, rather than shot to death for freedom of thought and excerize of liberty.None of the people in power are going to respect any civil liberties now. Ashcroft has lived for the day he could get such unconstitutional power.POWER is what it's all about.FREEDOM ENDURES
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Comment #3 posted by Angelfood Picasso on October 26, 2001 at 02:35:55 PT
Red White & Blue
Red,,,as in hammer & sickle,or China
White,,,as in whiteout of free press
Blue,,,,as in blues we be singin',after we realize what's happened
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Comment #2 posted by Dan B on October 26, 2001 at 02:21:55 PT:
The Rest of the Story
"These laws will help ensure that Americans will never be violated in the way we were on September 11," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee."No-sir-ee, we don't want Americans to be violated in that way ever again," Hatch added. "That's why we've passed this legislation. We want to make sure we have in our arsenal many other, more effective ways to violate the American people. That's why we're fighting this war on terrorism. We believe that the right to violate Americans rests solely in the hands of the American government, and we intend to bomb back to the stone age any group that tries to upstage us.""Yippee!" chimed in John Ashcroft. "We haven't had this big 'a pig fest since the Red Scare! Gonna git us some for-ners, yessir! Gonna git us some 'mericans, too! Yaaaa-hooooo! Anybody with skin tone darker than mine better run to them there hills! Gonna git us some pot smokers, too."Jerry Falwell added that the anti-terrorism bill is one sure way to force Americans to fall in line with God's plan: a Christian totalitarian state."I concur," said Pat Robertson.Dan B
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Comment #1 posted by dddd on October 26, 2001 at 00:55:44 PT
where are they?
..where are the defenders of the Constitution?,,,what happened to the checks and balances that were supposed to prevent the government from too much power?...Where was the debate over what is going on?Is Russ Fiengold the lone patriot?Does it not seem rather strange,that the vote was unanamous,except for Russ Fiengold?....What happened to the voice of dissenting and opposing views?.....Have we gone past the point where the Sheeple can be awakened,and aleryed to what has happened?...This is the beginning of the end of America,and the world.....Not much anyone can do about it either,,because after today,,ANYTHING me,or anyone else writes here,or in an email,can be labelled as "associated with terrorist ideas",,or "supporting terrorism",,,,and they can come to your house,pick you up,and lock you down....With todays passage of these new laws,,everything has changed.It's not some insignificant adjustment of the laws to get terrorists, it is little less than the death blow to the Constitution,and the installation of a police state regime.......This will go down in history,as the day when it all changed,,a day of infamy,,as the US government betrays its own people in an act of high treason,and domestic political terrorism,against We The People.....dddd
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