Misblog

Unfortunately, our Senate appears poised (cloture vote H.R. 6304) to enact the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 which (in)effectively tells our Executive that the FISA Court is really the final arbiter of "intelligence" wiretapping and this time they really mean it!

Additionally, the legislation rewards our telecoms for violating the law by granting them immunity for illegally wiretapping Americans, without a warrant.

Congresspersons voting for telecoms immunity say that if the government violates the law (not obtaining a FISA warrant) and the telecoms violate the law (illegally wiretapping Americans without a FISA warrant) that somehow entitles telecoms to immunity—and they really mean it?!

Why do they think the FISA Amendment Act of 2008 will be treated any different than the FISA 1978, without accountability for violating the FISA 1978 law?

Congresspersons not granting the telecoms immunity will be insuring and assuring respect for the rule of law, the civil rights of all Americans, accountability, and that an effective FISA Amendments Act of 2008 will be respected.

Web: Senate Debates Rewrite of '78 Law That Created Secret Intelligence Court

Blog: FAS Secrecy Blog, FISA Amendments and the Rule of Law. FAS has posted Senator Chris Dodd's interesting comments here—the debate on FISA accountability is about whether we are a nation of laws or men?