They are all examples of breaking the law, violating the Constitution, and infringing on our right to privacy. Hence they are illegal, and the Bush Administration should be prosecuted for these crimes.
Cheney defends bank, credit records searches by Pentagon, CIA
WASHINGTON – Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday the Pentagon and CIA are not violating people's rights by examining the banking and credit records of hundreds of Americans and others suspected of terrorism or espionage in the United States.
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his panel will be the judge of that...
In a statement Sunday, Reyes promised that his panel would take a careful look at those claims.
“Any expansion by the department into intelligence collection, particularly on U.S. soil, is something our committee will thoroughly review,” Reyes said.
“We want our intelligence professionals to have strong tools that will enable them to interrupt the planning process of our enemies and to stop attacks against our country,” he said. “But in doing so, we also want those tools to comply fully with the law and the Constitution.”
The Pentagon and the CIA, to a lesser extent, have used this little-known power, officials said. The FBI, the lead agency on domestic counterterrorism and espionage, has issued thousands of such letters since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The letters have generated criticism and court challenges from civil liberties advocates who claim they invade the privacy of Americans' lives, even though banks and other financial institutions typically turn over the financial records voluntarily.
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