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http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/15509.html
FBI's Wish is Granted
By Niall McKay
4:00 a.m. 9.Oct.98.PDT
US lawmakers inserted a provision expanding the FBI's capacity to
eavesdrop on American citizens into an intelligence budget bill, provoking
sharp criticism from civil libertarians and a conservative member of
congress.
The so-called roving wiretap provision, an item on the FBI's controversial
wish list, was added to the Intelligence Authorization Act, (HR3694) late
Wednesday, said Representative Bob Barr (R-Georgia).
"Under this new law, the federal government will have the ability to
eavesdrop on each and every one of us," said Barr, a former federal
prosecutor and ex-CIA analyst who is running for a third term.
The provision, which allows law enforcement agencies to tap telephones
used by or near targeted individuals rather than requiring authorization
to tap specific phones, was rejected by Congress as part of the 1996
Anti-Terrorism bill.
It was introduced by a joint committee charged with reconciling the House
and Senate versions of the intelligence budget.
"This is a sneaky attack on the privacy rights of Americans," Greg Nojeim,
ACLU Legislative Counsel.
Patrick Poole, deputy director of the Free Congress Foundation, called it
a case of bill stuffing. Every year in the last few days of congress the
FBI tries to sneak previously rejected legislation into must-pass
legislation, including budgets, Poole said.
"There is a flaw in the process that law makers take advantage of to pass
controversial laws that do not stand up to open debate," said Poole. "This
is how they managed to make the National Identity Cards Law."
-o-
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Received on Fri Oct 9 21:06:20 1998