“The revelation of this NSA program is very problematic,” said Congresswoman Waters. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (”FISA”) was passed in 1978 to establish clear laws governing the NSA and other intelligence agencies in response to these agencies spying on Americans during the 1960s. The law set the legal framework for foreign intelligence gathering. FISA is intended to ensure that Americans are protected from government intrusion in their personal lives by requiring, among other things, warrants for wiretaps. By unilaterally authorizing the NSA to conduct these investigations, the President has bypassed important safeguards incorporated in FISA and has jeopardized the fundamental rights of all Americans.”
“The description of the NSA program is reminiscent of the COINTELPRO program in which the FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover, spied on the leaders of the civil rights movement, including the Black Panther Party. During the COINTELPRO program, the FBI attempted to neutralize the Black Panthers through the use of informants and covert activities. It was inexcusable when Hoover spied on the Black Panthers and other civil rights leaders in the 1960s; it is inexcusable when President Bush spies on Americans in 2005.”
http://blog.pdamerica.org/?p=475Jan 31, 2006 - SOTU Address: IMPEACH NOW March on Washington
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