(2007-09-18) — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today raised the specter of a new wave of civil rights abuses by the U.S. intelligence community, which the ACLU accused of eavesdropping on the private communications of Chinese and Russian spies.
The charge comes after national intelligence director Mike McConnell revealed that espionage activity by China and Russia against the U.S. has returned to Cold War levels.
“The Bush administration knows that these foreign nations are spying more,” said an unnamed ACLU spokesman, “because the U.S. has been listening in on phone calls, intercepting emails and secretly videotaping the activities of individuals from these friendly foreign countries.”
Of course, any allegation of eavesdropping by the U.S. government on citizens, foreign or domestic, raises concerns about civil rights. In this case, the ACLU contends, “the consequences could be devastating, because the people whose privacy has been invaded depend on absolute secrecy for their living.”
“We’re talking about people losing their jobs,” the source said, “all because of a few zealous neo-cons in the Bush administration don’t know where to draw the line between legitimate national security concerns and the rights of Chinese and Russian persons to be free from U.S. government intrusion in their lives.”
16 responses so far ↓
1 MargeinMI // Sep 18, 2007 at 6:35 am
God Bless America!
[huffpuffhuffpuff…almost caught up, but gotta go!]
2 egospeak // Sep 18, 2007 at 6:51 am
I thought that this was a parody/satire site, but after the flurry of stories in the past day and a half, I’m beginning to think that I am misunderinformed. They all read absolutely true to me.
Doh!! I guess that’s what makes them good parody/satire. I guess I have a firm grasp of the obvious after all. Fabulous stuff, Scott.
Regards,
P.S. Take a short break so we can catch up.
3 Hawkeye // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:09 am
ACLU = “A Crazy Liberal Utopia”.
4 Hawkeye // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:10 am
Those spies ate my post!
5 Ms RightWing, Ink // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:12 am
spy vs. spy?
6 Ms RightWing, Ink // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:18 am
Hmm, just can’t seem to get here. Losing my posts all over Scrappledom
7 camojack // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:23 am
More warrantless wiretaps?! Good…
8 boberinyetagain // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:41 am
Wow, this box took a long time to sort out!
Funny as always Mr. Ott!
Morning gang!
9 mig // Sep 18, 2007 at 7:46 am
Eavesdropping and spying should only be for those that are a real threat to global security, Conservative Christians. They are the real threat to the fabric of our lives. I’m telling you now that the Chinese and the Russians only want whats best for global communism and what’s best for the communist is best for US.
10 Pseudo-Polymath » Blog Archive » Morning Highlights // Sep 18, 2007 at 8:05 am
[…] Civil rights for the spy at Scrappleface. […]
11 Maggie // Sep 18, 2007 at 8:52 am
Elizabeth Hastlebeck(sp?), another dangerous Neo Con spy, was outed today by Barry Manelow(sp? :>).
Now we know it was he who “writes the songs”.
12 Maggie // Sep 18, 2007 at 8:56 am
Hillary, translated into Chinese, is Hirraly.
13 Maggie // Sep 18, 2007 at 8:58 am
Bruce lee ate my posts.
14 prettyold // Sep 18, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Maggie ,wouldn’t that be Bluce Ree?
15 prettyold // Sep 18, 2007 at 6:40 pm
Why do the Chinese have to spy on us? Don’t Hillary and Bill tell them everything they want to know?
16 INJUSTICE PREVAILS // Sep 23, 2007 at 4:09 pm
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT
Nos. 06-2095/2140
American Civil Liberties Union, (ACLU) et al.
Plaintiffs - Appellees/Cross-Appellants,
v.
National Security Agency, (NSA) et al.
Defendants - Appellants/Cross-Appellees
_________________________________________/
Filed: July 6, 2007
Before:
BATCHELDER, GILMAN, and GIBBONS,
Circuit Judges.
JUDGMENT
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Michigan at Detroit.
THIS CAUSE
Was heard on the record from the district court and was argued by counsel.
IN CONSIDERATION WHEREOF, it is ORDERED
That the order of the district court is
VACATED and the case is REMANDED
with instructions to DISMISS the case for lack of jurisdiction.
ENTERED BY ORDER OF THE COURT
/s/ Leonard Green
___________________________________
Clerk
The President has “inherent constitutional authority to conduct warrantless foreign intelligence surveillance.” See In re Sealed Case, 310 F.3d 717, 746 (For. Intel. Surv. Ct. Rev. 2002) (per curiam). To be sure, the Sealed Case court stated in dicta that “[w]e take for granted that the President does have” the “inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information.” Id. at 742.
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