Intelligence Committee votes not to investigate NSA eavesdropping
Posted on March 8, 2006
Left leaning libertarians and leftwing nutcases are dissapointed. But nobody is suprised that The U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee rejected a proposal to investigate the Bush administration’s NSA program.
Via Washington Post
“I believe the president is prepared to sign a bill once the Congress does work its will,” Roberts told reporters after a closed-door committee meeting.
“When it comes to national security, I prefer accommodation over confrontation whenever possible. We should fight the enemy. We should not fight each other.”
Four Senate Republicans, all critics of the program, proposed a plan that would authorize the National Security Agency to eavesdrop without a warrant for 45 days but require the White House to justify every decision to continue beyond that timeframe.
The legislative proposal, titled the Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006, also would force the eavesdropping program to cease after five years unless renewed by Congress.
Sen. Mike DeWine of Ohio, one of the four Republicans pressing for legislation, said the proposal was backed by Roberts and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and accepted “in broad concept” by the White House.
Despite the compromise in such a vital program for fighting terror, there are still complaints.
But the Republican-controlled intelligence panel voted down a Democratic proposal for a complete investigation into the
surveillance by the National Security Agency by the full 15-member intelligence committee. Democrats complained that they had been shut out of discussions with the White House that led to the agreement.
“The committee, to put it bluntly, is basically under the control of the White House through its chairman,” said a visibly frustrated Sen. John Rockefeller of West Virginia, ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee.
Speaking of Rockefeller and investigations….….the investigation that does need to be taking place is picking up steam. What we really need to get to the bottom of is who leaked our classified information? The name Rockefeller keeps coming up, and one has to wonder if that is why he got so visibly frustrated. However, the investigation into the leakers is getting pretty strong.
Special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently interviewed dozens of employees at the CIA, the NSA and other intelligence agencies as part of an intense and wide-reaching investigation. Many employees who possess security clearances at the CIA, FBI, the Justice Department and other agencies received letters from the Justice Department forbidding them from discussing even unclassified intelligence programs.
But people such as former deputy-undersecretary of Defense Jed Babbin don’t think the Justice Department investigators and prosecutors have the guts to indict a US senator. Babbin said it would cause a battle royal on the Hill, if not a constitutional crisis.
He did say however, that any senator or Congressional staffer that holds a security clearance can be asked at any time to take a polygraph. The individual can of course refuse to take the test, but failure to do so is reason to remove that person’s security clearance. Babbin further said that Senators Rockefeller, Durbin, and Wyden, and some on their staffs will soon be requested to take polygraphs.
Today the tide completed its turn away from the media lies and spin and towards common sense. The NSA story started off as a media-made fantasy where supposedly Bush ordered the NSA to defy the FISA act and go witch hunting. In the end it was learned that the only thing the NSA did was pass their leads to the FISA Court (FISC) which determined unilaterally NSA leads meant nothing and rejected the idea of surveillling people in the US in obvious contact with terrorists. How do I know this is an accurate assessment? The Senate Intelligence committee just folded when the administration called their bluff:
Greenwald and company have almost all of their eggs in one basket now - that of Arlen Specter and his Judiciary Committee, virtually the only obstacle remaining to a complete collapse of official opposition.
Don’t get your hopes up too high yet. Yes, this is a victory, but Arlen Specter is not the final straw of official opposition. Don’t underestimate the enemies of National Security. We may have won the battle in the legislative field, but the ACLU still have their lawsuit looming, and you can bet all the eggs in your basket that we haven’t heard the last of it yet. Today we have a victory, but the war isn’t over.
Others: The Real Ugly American has a round-up of blogger reactions.
Sister Toldjah
All Things Beautiful
NY Times
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