U.S. Justice Dept wants surveillance methods extended

[Eugen Leitl]

More change we don't believe in.

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE58E75C20090915?sp=true

U.S. Justice Dept wants surveillance methods extended

Tue Sep 15, 2009 4:20pm EDT
 
By Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has asked the U.S. Congress
to extend three surveillance techniques for intelligence agencies tracking
suspected militants that expire this year, according to a letter to
lawmakers.

Approved after the September 11 attacks in 2001 at the request of the Bush
administration, techniques such as roving wiretaps and accessing all kinds of
personal records drew criticism from civil liberties groups and some
lawmakers who said they were unconstitutional and violated privacy rights.

In the letter released on Tuesday, a Justice Department official asked that
three of the techniques expiring on December 31 be renewed and said the Obama
administration was open to lawmakers' plans to add more privacy protections.

"The administration is willing to consider such ideas, provided that they do
not undermine the effectiveness of these important authorities," Assistant
Attorney General Ronald Weich said in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee
Chairman Patrick Leahy and the ranking Republican senator, Jeff Sessions.

The committee will hold a hearing next week to discuss the administration's
request.

"I am pleased that the Justice Department has signaled its willingness to
work with Congress in addressing the expiring provisions," Leahy said. "It is
important that Congress and the executive branch work together to ensure that
we protect both our national security and our civil liberties."

The Justice Department specifically asked that Congress reauthorize the use
of roving wiretaps, permitting authorities to track multiple communications
devices owned by an individual since people can switch devices frequently and
quickly.

The administration also asked that one particularly controversial
intelligence gathering method be reauthorized -- accessing personal records.

That was a point of contention because some feared that even library and
bookstore records could be accessed, prompting Congress to try to limit it.

"CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC"

"Many of these instances will be mundane," Weich said, suggesting that
requests often are for driver's license records protected by state privacy
laws. But he acknowledged others would be more complex and tracking their
business activities.

The administration also asked to continue being able to track suspected
foreign militants who may be working individually rather than as part of a
larger group, much like Zacarias Moussaoui who is serving a life sentence for
conspiring with the September 11 hijackers.

While extending controversial Bush policies could annoy President Barack
Obama's more liberal backers, the American Civil Liberties Union said the
willingness of his administration to enhance privacy protections was a good
first step but would depend on the outcome.

"We're cautiously optimistic. There are still changes we'd like to see to
these three provisions to protect Americans' privacy," said Michelle
Richardson, a legislative counsel for the ACLU.

She said other government surveillance activities that did not expire this
year also needed fixing, especially so-called national security letters which
were essentially subpoenas for personal records.

The FBI has been roundly criticized for abusing them.

Democratic Senators Richard Durbin and Russ Feingold urged Congress to take
up that issue now as well.

"We must take this opportunity to get it right, once and for all," they said
in a statement.

(Editing by John O'Callaghan)