Sunday, May 02, 2004

 

When "Anti-terrorism" Is Easier Than Crimefighting, Everybody Becomes An Enemy Of The State

This is a trend that ought to curl your hair:

Federal agents sought 1,727 warrants from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for electronic eavesdropping and physical searches last year, according to a Justice Department filing with Congress. Just four applications were rejected, and two of those were later revised and approved. The number of so-called FISA warrants jumped by 500 from 2002 and has almost doubled since 2001, when 934 applications were approved.

By comparison, there were 1,442 wiretap petitions in federal and state courts for crimes like drugs and racketeering, according to a separate report from the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said the new FISA figures show the Justice Department "is deploying its legal resources to uncover and prevent terrorist attacks on Americans.''

"To keep the United States and its people safe, it is critical that the Department of Justice use every legal means to detect, deter and disrupt foreign terrorists and their activities here in America,'' Ashcroft said.

So, what do you think here -- are there suddenly more terrorists than criminals in America? Or do you think Ashcroft's definition of "potential terrorist" -- and thus "potential target of clandestine surveillance" -- now includes virtually everyone who's ever posted to this very blog?

posted by Michael 9:46 PM