FBI complains (to Congress) about newspaper article

FBI complains about newspaper article

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Justice Department sent Congress a letter complaining of inaccuracies in a newspaper article about the FBI's powers regarding private records.

The FBI is able to gain access to financial transactions and Internet usage, among other data, through the use of so-called national security letters. The Washington Post on Nov. 6 reported the FBI has issued more than 30,000 of the letters a year. Congress is considering renewal of the USA Patriot Act, of which the letters are a part.

A letter from Assistant Attorney General William Moschella to the chairmen of the House and Senate judiciary committees said the article included inaccuracies and asked Congress not "let a distorted and misleading portrayal of the FBI's use of this vital investigative tool ...," the Post reported.

Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie was quoted in Wednesday's article about the letter as saying: "The (Nov. 6) story speaks for itself." He said the Justice Department didn't document any inaccuracies and asserts claims the original article did not make.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/?feed=TopNews&article=UPI-1-20051130-14481700-bc-us-fbi.xml

<- So the FBI whines to Congress about the press coverage of the Anti-Patriot Act! Now...that's not fucked up at all, is it?! :sarcasm:

They've already revealed Choicepoint wrote special access code for them to use Choicepoint's databases.

"According to federal documents obtained by National Journal and Government Executive, among the services that ChoicePoint provides to the government is access to a previously undisclosed, and vaguely described, "exclusive" data-searching system. This system in effect gives law enforcement and intelligence agents the ability to use the private data broker to do something that they legally can't -- keep tabs on nearly every American citizen and foreigner in the United States."
(from this mediamonitors.net article.

So what's the inaccuracy?

You want to know what's most galling to me? The possiblity the FBI wants us to know how powerful they've become. The complaint is not really a complaint. It's BRAGGING. It's a warning to "those who would harm us". (and by us, I mean the Bush/Ashcroft regime)

I say neighbor because you literally are one. I'm less than ten miles from Alpharetta, also known as Pleasantville, USA.

Cheers! :toast: