Powell approves!!!!

Powell said that when he was in the Cabinet, he was not told that President Bush authorized a warrantless National Security Agency surveillance operation after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Seems like everyone but the Sec. of State was told. I suppose that was because he didn't support Bush's ill-conceived policies in general. He was the only voice of reason close to Bush and got canned because Bush only wants yes-men.

 

"My own judgment is that it didn't seem to me, anyway, that it would have been that hard to go get the warrants. And even in the case of an emergency, you go and do it." - Colin Powell quoted in the OP link.

 

So your title for the thread should have been:

"Powell approves!!!! Powell disapproves!!!!"

 

Powell certainly has no reason to lie about his true feelings on this since he no longer works for Bush.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Yes, it is necessary. The executive branch just needs to obey the law in doing it.

 

Getting a warrent approved was successful in something like 99.5% of the time. They were rarely turned down by the special court. It makes you wonder what Bush is really after other than tracking terrorists. He has admitted spying on American citizens who were against his war. That's a constitutional right. It seems as if people don't care about giving up their freedom (unless it has to do with guns).

 

Gen Powell was the Secretary of State Bunyon.

The Chief of Staff is often a close personal friend of the President, and some Presidents didnt have a formal one.

Straightandnarrow - You only need a warrant to listen to domestic wiretaps. Calls that originate from outside the US either to the US or elsewhere, do not need a warrant. So far, nobody has proven that domestic callers have been tapped and nobody usually talks about the international calls anyway. The law doesnt just provide for American citizens...it covers all those who are within the borders of the United States. So those lovely 19 men who crashed airplanes into buildings had their privacy protected on their outgoing calls. Had the US intel community had their heads in the sunshine, a wire tap and someone paying attention a bit better might have at least prevented one plane from scorching the earth. Guess we will never know.

One thing is that success in almost everything is measured in what you do, except in protecting and serving the people - it is then measured in what does not happen. The most harshest of all yardsticks.

PS..I do agree with you on the handgun thing. Odd what people will stand up and fight for isnt it?

 

So what? They can do the surveillance and then a bureaucrat can spend the next two weeks doing paperwork.

 

Hey Ken,

How does filing a request for a warrant after the fact protect anyone's privacy? What if the court rejects the request? I guess at that point, your fellow pencil pusher beaurocrats have just sucked more money out of the tax payers. But they certainly haven't protected anyone's right.

Joseph Botwinick

 

Um not to be the Shell answer man around here (er or woman as it were) but the Joint Chiefs of Staff is a panel comprised of the highest ranking military person from each branch of service. At the moment, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff happens to be General Peter Pace, USMC.

Joseph B. - I dunno...something to do to with admissable evidence...

 

Well I am young - if you think 38 is young (dont mind the grey hairs though).

I am aware of his CJCS appointment, as I was just starting my military career then and remember him well (esp how he resigned over the dont ask dont tell thing). However he was more notably the Secretary of State, which is whom all the intel, federal law enforcement, and military agencies answer to when it comes to Homeland Security, anti-terrorism, and force protection.

And as such, he would most assuredly know what was what when it comes to preventing another attack. I expect anyone appointed to the Sec of State position to have their finger on the pulse of this nation in relation to foriegn policy and events.

 

Nevertheless, Bush could have done that. Under the Patriot Act, it was legal to do the spying, and then go to the special court for a warrant afterwards.

It appears that someone figured the court wouldn't go for some of the stuff Bush wanted to check out, and they just didn't bother to comply with the law.