Justice Department Details Uses of Patriot Act

[Rose Siding]

Seeking to bolster support for the Patriot Act, the Justice Department provided Congress on Tuesday with details of numerous cases in which the anti-terrorism law has been used.

The 29-page report is part of the Bush administration effort to prevent Congress from weakening the law, which critics say threatens civil liberties by giving law enforcement authorities more latitude to spy on people.
...
Powers permitted under the Patriot Act have also been used in investigations involving potential school bomb attacks, computer hackers, child pornography, violent fugitives and illegal weapons sales. In one case, Patriot Act electronic communications authorities allowed law enforcement agencies to identify a person who had sent 200 threatening letters laced with white powder in Lafayette, La., the department said.

The report did not say whether the FBI had used its authority to obtain library or bookstore records. That information is classified, but Attorney General John Ashcroft last year issued a declassified statement saying that, up to that point, the power had not been used.

Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, accused the department of selectively releasing information about the Patriot Act and refusing to address civil liberties concerns.

"Coupled with the department's consistent record of exaggerating their record about terrorism, this entire report is suspect," Conyers said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46756-2004Jul13.html

[aquart]

1. Uh huh. The Secret Police Act is being used to spy on Americans.

Can we PLEASE stop calling it the Patriot Act? No patriot wrote it and no patriot voted for it.

[hughee99]

4. Didn't the Patriot Act pass by

98-1? I think Russ Feingold was the only senator to vote against it

[Massacure]

2. They should rename it the Traitor Act.

[shraby]

3. Or the

Freedomless Act

[stickdog]

5. So, it's not being used to stop terrorists.

But instead for everything else under the sun.

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. We'll never know about those

that they used it against who are have been whisked away without being charged. So please, Mr. Ashcroft, for comparison, let's see those numbers too.

[saigon68]

7. ASSCRACK IS A THUG AND A CRIMINAL HIMSELF

He would have the ultimate wet dream if the Osama people ever did anything again. He could then put the country under martial Law, break out his Black Himmler uniform. and goose step down "Constitution Avenue"