FBI may target Americans without cause

[samplegirl]

The Justice Department is considering establishing a new policy that would allow the FBI to target Americans for investigation even in the absence of evidence or other compelling indications that the person was breaking a law. Citizens could be investigated based on their jobs or backgrounds or hobbies "matching trends that analysts deem suspect." The new guidelines would be put in place before the presidential administration changes next January.

[Duke Newcombe]

1. Links, please!! n/t

Duke

[MUAD_DIB]

5. Just Change my name to K, and tell me I am guilty of a crime that

I am not allowed to be privy to.

[Edweird]

2. "may" implies possiblilty. I'm pretty sure we're wayyy past that point.

[tigereye]

3. prepping for the next trip to the Supreme Court

Bush, the gift that keeps on giving.... :sarcasm: :grr:


It kills me how every time the court or Congress says, you can't do that, they find another smarmy way to do evil crap.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Do you have a link to that story? (nt)

[EbenezerMcIntosh]

6. Source?

Source? Like it's not true. ;)

[IDemo]

7. Link->

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/doj-policy-woul.html

[samplegirl]

8. Sorry I forgot to post the link so here it is...

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/doj-policy-woul.html

[TreasonousBastard]

9. I grew up with that bullshit under Hoover, and...

the only difference now is that surveillance is easier.

[slipslidingaway]

10. FBI Plans Initiative To Profile Terrorists

Same program ???

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/10/AR2007071001871.html

"Potential Targets Get Risk Rating

By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 11, 2007; Page A08

The Federal Bureau of Investigations is developing a computer-profiling system that would enable investigators to target possible terror suspects, according to a Justice Department report submitted to Congress yesterday.

The System to Assess Risk, or STAR, assigns risk scores to possible suspects based on a variety of information, similar to the way a credit bureau assigns a rating based on a consumer's spending behavior and debt. The program focuses on foreign suspects but also includes data about some U.S. residents. A prototype is expected to be tested this year...


...After STAR has received the names of persons of interest, it runs them through an FBI "data mart" that includes classified and unclassified information from the government, airlines and commercial data brokers such as ChoicePoint. Then it runs them through the terrorist screening center database, which contains hundreds of thousands of names, as well as through a database containing information on non-citizens who enter the country. It also runs the names against information provided by data broker Accurint, which tracks addresses, phone numbers and driver's licenses..."