Page 18 - MIN JUS - MAY28,2015
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U.S. NEWS A5
Thursday 28 May 2015
FBI: Surveillance tools in jeopardy amid US debate
ERIC TUCKER them from lapsing along Americans’ phone records lection a useful tool to the court orders to collect
Associated Press with other parts of the act in bulk. Provisions of the FBI’s counterterrorism ef- documents such as hotel
WASHINGTON (AP) — As on June 1. Patriot Act dealing with forts. But recently he has and travel records during
Congress wrestles over The Senate returns to ses- lone-wolf targets and al- expressed more concern terrorism investigations,
renewing the law that sion on Sunday, facing low roving wiretaps would about being able to main- and which also would be
authorizes bulk collec- affected by the deadline.
tion of Americans’ phone FBI director James Comey speaks at FBI headquarters in Washington. As Congress debates Attorney General Loretta
records, federal law en- whether to renew a program that collects and stores American phone records, federal law Lynch warned Wednes-
forcement officials are enforcement officials are trying to focus public attention on the jeopardy to lesser-known day against permitting
warning that legal author- surveillance tools that they consider more valuable in fighting terrorism. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) the expiration of “vital
ity is also at risk for lesser- and uncontroversial tools
known surveillance tools a deadline to reach a also expire at midnight tain the lone wolf and rov- we use to combat terror-
that are even more valu- last-minute agreement with the phone records ing wiretap capabilities, as ism and crime.”
able in fighting terrorism. to renew a once-secret program. well as a separate Patriot But civil liberties lawyers
The Patriot Act, passed National Security Agen- FBI Director James Comey Act provision that allows say the FBI already has the
after the Sept. 11, 2001 at- cy program that collects has called bulk phone col- the FBI to obtain secret tools it needs and haven’t
tacks, authorities give the presented enough infor-
FBI flexibility to intercept mation to justify their use.
the calls of terror suspects The American Civil Liber-
who continuously switch ties Union accuses intelli-
phones during the course gence officials and some
of an investigation and to in Congress of “scaremon-
conduct surveillance on gering” about the Patriot
“lone wolf” individuals who Act and says the debated
pose threats but aren’t af- authorities give the gov-
filiated with an internation- ernment too much discre-
al terrorism organization. tion in national security in-
U.S. officials have de- vestigations.
fended the need for those “Existing laws provide am-
powers over the last de- ple authority for the gov-
cade, but have ampli- ernment to obtain infor-
fied those efforts in recent mation about individuals
weeks as the expiration who are planning attacks
dates for their authority of terrorism,” ACLU lawyers
nears without any signals wrote in a memo urging
of a congressional com- Congress to let the provi-
promise that would keep sions expire.q
Rand Paul blames Republican hawks for rise of ISIS
STEVE PEOPLES cent days made gains in aggressive rhetoric, but an isolationist in the race, Jeb Bush faced pointed
Associated Press central Iraq. few specifics when asked he has scaled back some questions recently from
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- “ISIS exists and grew stron- about IS. of his positions, no longer a college student in the
publican presidential can- ger because of the hawks Paul favors less military in- calling for deep cuts in state of Nevada who said
didate Rand Paul is blam- in our party who gave arms tervention abroad, wants the Pentagon budget, for former President George
ing his own party for the indiscriminately,” Paul said a dramatic reduction example, and no longer W. Bush “created ISIS.”
rise of the Islamic State on MSNBC’s “Morning in U.S. money to foreign proposing the elimination The younger Bush does not
group. Joe.” He continued: “They governments and stands of foreign aid, including to blame his brother, but in-
The senator from Kentucky created these people. ISIS in opposition to the Patri- Israel. stead accuses the Obama
said Wednesday that the is all over Libya because ot Act and the U.S. policy On the Islamic State, he administration of creat-
Republicans’ foreign pol- these same hawks in my behind drone strikes. It all wants coalitions of Arab ing a void by withdrawing
icy hawks “created these party loved — they loved makes him something of troops — instead of U.S. American forces, creating
people.” That assertion led Hillary Clinton’s war in Lib- an outlier on foreign policy troops — to take the lead a vacuum in Iraq that was
potential 2016 rival Bobby ya. They just wanted more and national security in on the ground. ultimately filled by the Is-
Jindal, Louisiana’s gover- of it.” the GOP field. Paul’s comments also un- lamic State group.
nor, to say Paul was un- Foreign policy has He stood apart from many derscore the challenge In his interview earlier,
qualified to be president. emerged as a central de- in his party in opposing U.S. for former Florida Gov. Paul described Iraq as “a
The Islamic State group, bate in the 2016 Republi- military action in Syria be- Jeb Bush, whose brother failed state” and criticized
commonly referred to as can presidential primary. fore the ascension of the launched the invasion of Republicans who con-
ISIS, has seized one-third Many of Paul’s Republican Islamic State. Iraq more than a decade demn his foreign policy as
of Iraq and Syria and in re- colleagues have offered Sensitive to being branded ago. weak.q
