Pentagon Faulted for Security Letters

Source: Associated Press

A review by the Pentagon of hundreds of secret letters it sent out after the Sept. 11 attacks seeking financial records of individuals found that the program lacked coordination and oversight, according to newly released documents.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained heavily edited copies of Pentagon documents through a Freedom of Information Act request, said an analysis of 455 "national security letters" issued after Sept. 11, 2001, shows that the Pentagon collaborated with the FBI to circumvent laws and may have overstepped its authority to obtain financial and credit records.

Recipients of national security letters, including Internet service providers, financial institutions and credit reporting agencies, are generally forbidden to disclose to the individuals under investigation that they have received letters requesting financial records.

"Once again, the Bush administration's unchecked authority has led to abuse and civil liberties violations," ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero said in a statement Sunday. "The documents make clear that the Department of Defense may have secretly and illegally conducted surveillance beyond the
powers it was granted by Congress

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gxwePm1NYrebLADppFIlcu3pim9AD8S9AGS00

Let's take turns feeling defeated and utterly cynical. My turn to cheer you up, bud :hug:

It doesn't happen on DU very often, things are rather *serious* around here, except in the DU Lounge. :toast:

This is definitely one of the more important stories. It's my understanding that the 4th Amendment citizens' right is *supposed* to apply as a prohibition to *the government.*

:hi:

Remember how the British used their stiff upper lip to get through the horrors of World War II?
Well, we've got one helluva big juicy mouth in the US with 75% of the population getting ready to roar,
"We're mad as hell and we won't take this Bushit anymore!!!"