U.S.'s Snow Says Patriot Act Key to Financial War on Terror

[neomonkey]

July 13 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow called for the USA Patriot Act to be renewed so as to maintain a chokehold on terrorism financing, rebutting calls from Democrats who want to roll back a law the Bush administration touts as essential to its war on terror.

The act, which was enacted six weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, gives intelligence agencies and law enforcement expanded authority in terrorism investigations. It is being hailed this week by Snow and other members of President George W. Bush's administration.

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[punpirate]

1. Snow can't find his backside...

... with both hands. How can he find any value in the PATRIOT Act?

Funny thing. Clinton tried to open up international banking for inspection for laundering, etc., and the Repugs (with Phil Gramm of TX leading the charge) killed the initiative. Now, John Snow, the cabinet member with the most pimples on the brain, says the entirety of the PATRIOT Act is necessary in order to retain legislation the Repugs killed five years ago?

It is to laugh. This guy must be butt-fucking Ashcroft in the White House linen closet in between cabinet meetings....

[TahitiNut]

3. Is that where he keeps the Crisco?

:evilgrin: "Reuse - Recycle"

[punpirate]

4. Uh, the linen closet...

... or his backside? :P

[Hobarticus]

2. There are TWO analysts asssigned to tracking bin Laden's funding.

There are about twenty tracking illegal commerce with Cuba, acording to Mother Jones.

What, we need the Patriot Act to change that wacky prioritization?

[punpirate]

5. Very good point. n/t

[bluestateguy]

6. Uh huh

Like when the feds used the Patriot Act last year to gather financial information on the San Diego strip club owner who was accused of trying to bribe city council members to repeal an ordinance against nude dancing. Yep, that's sure part of the war on terror.

Shame on me for not doing enough to oppose the Patriot Act when it was enacted.

[tom_paine]

7. WHAT financial war on terror?

What a happy load of Soviet horseshit. They aren;t going too hard after the money lanes that Bin Laden uses because his accounts ARE RIGHT NEXT TO THEIRS!

Bullshit!

[nodictators]

8. Why hasn't Liar Snow gone after the people who bought the put options

on American and United Airlines stock just before 9/11?

A little PNACer insider trading, not worth investigating, eh Clyde?

If he can't use the Patriot Act to find who bought those put options and made millions, then it's worthless against terrorists, whether they are homegrown right-wingers or foreigners.

Of course, the Whore Corporate media has never questioned why BushCo hasn't investigated tho purchase of those put options.

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Snow's argument is bogus

One can grant to Mr. Snow that features of the Patriot Act aimed at money laundering should be retained while still arguing that features in the Patriot Act that restrict civil liberties should be repealed and soon.

We are right to be suspicious of an administration that seized power through electoral fraud and then seeks to send agents to libraries to see what private citizens are reading and argues that a terrorist suspect -- so defined by the chief executive or one of his cabinet officers -- may be detained indefinitely without access to an attorney. It is possible to fight terrorism without establishing a police state.

Why are the Bushies willing to fight tooth and nail for these affronts to civil liberties? Bush threatened to veto the Justice Department appropriations bill if it was amended to gut funding for federal fishing expeditions at public libraries and his henchmen in the House of Representatives bent the rules to prevent passage of that amendment. That is where the focus of the discussion should lie.

For Mr. Snow to suggest that in order to effectively fight terrorism on the financial front one must allow for unnecessary and dangerous government intrusion on others is an obfuscation of the argument and a patently false representation of the facts.