AFP: Bush-era memos: president can wiretap Americans at all times
The AFP reports that the ACLU got a FOIA on White House documents related to the legal opinions of the Bush Administration staff in regards to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). For some reason, the author(s) of that piece thinks that the Bush Administration thought they could spy on all of us all of the time, but, according to their own reportage, that’s not what the document said;
It allowed the National Security Agency to obtain communications data within the United States when at least one party was a suspected Al-Qaeda or Al-Qaeda affiliate member, and at least one party in the communication was located overseas.
“Even in peacetime, absent congressional action, the president has inherent constitutional authority … to order warrantless foreign intelligence surveillance,” then-assistant attorney general Jack Goldsmith said in a heavily redacted 108-page memo dated May 6, 2004.
“We believe that Stellar Wind comes squarely within the commander in chief’s authority to conduct the campaign against Al-Qaeda as part of the current armed conflict and that congressional efforts to prohibit the president’s efforts to intercept enemy communications through Stellar Wind would be an unconstitutional encroachment on the commander in chief’s power.”
The emphasis is mine. So that headline is just a big lie. And, really what does it matter? The Bush Administration is gone and he didn’t spy on all of us all of the time. Their bigger concern should be what the current occupant of the White House is doing these days, since President Bush doesn’t have any control over the NSA anymore.
I guess it’s just sexier to deflect attention from what’s happening in the world and dig up a long-dead administration.
Category: Terror War
Since when has ANYTHING been the fault of B. Hussein 0bama & Company, easily THE most narcissistic, incompetent and hypocritical administration in US History?
*OOP!* I forgot malignant, scandalous, and criminal!!
Don’t forget, he is either the biggest liar or the most incompetent. Why?
He doesn’t know anything about what is going on around him. He learns everything from the news.
So, either he has zero control about what is happening from his office or he is lying to everyone about it.
No, he can be both. And often is.
The incompetent frequently lie to cover their incompetent asses and mistakes.
Ya know, obviously AFP doesn’t read their competitor Reuters’ material:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/07/06/us-bush-eavesdropping-idUSN0642400020070706
This entire matter was made public, litigated, and was allowed to continue by Federal courts in 2006-2007.
To pick a nit, the Cincinnati court dismissed the case because the plaintiffs lacked standing, and issued no ruling on the constitutionality of the program.
Never let the facts get in the way of a story…or an agenda.
Another stellar example of BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome). Any psychriatrist with a shingle out could get rich off of analyzing these Leftist Libtards for the rest of their lives.
Oooh! For a brief moment there, I thought it was the 1960s again and the phones were being wiretapped.
0bama is not a crook. He’s too busy golfing and vacationing to do anything.
Maybe if Obama and Kerry would use some of the powers available to them we could avoid another 9/11. However, since it was a Bush thing and all that they could care less if ISIS is IN TEXAS and we have terrorist cells working to further their missions here in America already.
My only hope…and this is an awful thought from me. If we have another attack and it comes in the DC area. I hope Obama, Kerry, Biden and Holder are playing a foursome and caught out in the open. I know that is harsh but we have a Constitutional chain of command for a reason. It is sad to me personally, when I have come to feel so strongly about my own President. But…I care far more for America, its people and its future than anyone sitting in the Oval Office. I don’t care who they are. WE THE PEOPLE are America. Not the cowards currently in control.
You must like the sound of “President Boehner”. Be careful what you wish for.
David…Been away and just got back to the thread. No I don’t like the sound of President Boehner either. But I like it better than the names I listed. I do know what you are saying though and I agree.
The FISA court is a good thing. They act on information and issue warrants. This concept warrantless wire taps is kinda over blown vise current admin as they were (and are) doing it … Just look at NSA and CIA to Congress email scandals.
It is safe to say that Bush admin did conduct FISA approved taps as approved by FISA court. That is a good thing.
As far as this admin’s behavior … Not so much.
MCPO: legally, it is not clear that ANY warrant or court order is required to intercept telecommunications originating or terminating overseas – regardless of the nationality of the individuals involved.
Something to keep in mind on any and all AFP “reporting”.
Early on in the Afghan war, an AFP dood, standing beside a crater with a sad looking old Paki dood standing beside him, and an old soviet 152mm arty bullet with lift ring still in the fuse well, claimed it was all proof that the US was doing illegal drone strikes on innocent Paki villagers.
IF the AFP ever gets a story that is any where near actual true fact based, it is purely on accident and probably gets the editor fired.
I’ve noticed over the last decade that many headlines cave become highly misleading or complete lies. It doesn’t really matter how legitimate the source claims to be, either. Fully half of the cnn main page is fake clickbait news, the other half has that type of headline.
I don’t even want to be informed any more.