BUSH ADMIN Secretly Deletes Phrase In Army Manual So They Can Wiretap Americans Without Warrant

[kpete]

Deletions in Army Manual Raise Wiretapping Concerns

By ERIC LICHTBLAU and MARK MAZZETTI
Published: January 14, 2007

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 — Deep into an updated Army manual, the deletion of 10 words has left some national security experts wondering whether government lawyers are again asserting the executive branch’s right to wiretap Americans without a court warrant.

The manual, described by the Army as a “major revision” to intelligence-gathering guidelines, addresses policies and procedures for wiretapping Americans, among other issues.

The original guidelines, from 1984, said the Army could seek to wiretap people inside the United States on an emergency basis by going to the secret court set up by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, known as FISA, or by obtaining certification from the attorney general “issued under the authority of section 102(a) of the Act.”

That last phrase is missing from the latest manual, which says simply that the Army can seek emergency wiretapping authority pursuant to an order issued by the FISA court “or upon attorney general authorization.” It makes no mention of the attorney general doing so under FISA.

more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/14/washington/14spyside.html

[bananas]

1. They probably made that change after the fact. nt

[mod mom]

2. Thank God we have congress. rec'd

[converted_democrat]

3. It just never ends, does it? K&R..........n/t

[indepat]

4. The Congress must ultimately decide if the dictator is to be allowed to run amok until unfixable

catastrophes are thrust upon this nation and the world.

Edited: context

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. You can fucking revise an Army manual and override the Constitution?

WTF?

[helderheid]

6. KEITH OLBERMANN n/t