| Show Bush Urges Extension of Patriot Act Powers Jim The Washington Post President Bush said Thursday that Congress extend the governments government's governments government's govern govern- must and law ments ment's surveillance enforcement powers to track down potential terrorists while crediting the USA Act with helping to thwart potential attacks In a speech at the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy Bush said authorities authorities authorities author author- need the special pow pow- ers to conduct secret searches search search- es detain witnesses and track people deemed threats to the United States Critics including some conservatives conservatives conservatives conserva conserva- tives concerned that the law tramples on the rights of individuals want the act scaled back Bush said the new powers have allowed authorities to charge more than people people people peo peo- in terrorism investigations investigations investigations since the Sept 11 2001 attacks and convict more than half Unless Congress acts some provisions provisions provisions provi provi- are set to expire at the end of the year The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do It has protected American liberty and saved American lives Bush told cadets and members members members mem mem- bers of the state patrol Forthe For Forthe Forthe the sake of our national security Congress must not rebuild a wall bet between een law enforcement and intelli intelli- gence The law was quickly enacted after the attacks on New York and Washington But it has provoked an emotional emotional emotional emo emo- debate about the proper balance between security and personal free free- dom Among the 16 provisions set to expire are sections allowing the use of roving wiretaps on multiple telephones telephones telephones tele tele- phones and secret warrants for tangible items held by libraries financial firms and other businesses Letting those provisions expire would leave law enforcement in the dark Bush said The USA Patriot Act expanded the power of the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to intercept information and data and share information obtained through foreign Patriot Act Continued on Page 11 Patriot Act Continued from front and domestic surveillance Bush and many lawmakers want to make it even easier for the FBI to quickly obtain information in terrorism terrorism terrorism ter ter- ter- ter cases Sen Russell Feingold D- D Wis responded that if the president is serious about protecting individual rights The way to prove that those are not just empty words is to engage in an honest debate about fixing the Patriot Act and abandon efforts to expand law enforcement powers in ways that threaten our free free- doms I Intelligence committee Chairman Pat Roberts R- R Kan and other senators want to permit the FBI to subpoena records in national nation nation- al security probes without the approval of a judge or grand jury and make it easier easier easier easi easi- er for the bureau to get copies of mail Bush supports supports supports sup sup- ports the enhanced subpoena na power in concept according to White House spokesman Dana Perino but has not taken a position on the mail provision The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups say the act is ripe for abuse such as government government government govern govern- ment reviews of personal records and information on law-abiding law Americans without their knowledge But Sens Larry Craig R- R Idaho and Richard Durbin D who are pushing a abill abill bill to reduce the governments government's governments government's governments government's govern govern- ments ment's powers recently told tolda a Senate committee they cannot show any specific abuses We wage war each day in a way that values and protects the civil liberties and the constitutional freedoms freedoms freedoms free free- doms that make our nation so special Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said while introducing Bush a- a 1 i l W Y a emy The public strongly backs the Bush position according according according accord accord- ing to a new Washington Post-ABC Post News poll nine Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed said the act should be renewed while 39 percent said it should not Support however turned to opposition when people were asked whether the FBI should be permitted to demand records without first getting the approval of ofa a judge or prosecutor which Bush and some lawmakers lawmakers lawmakers law law- makers favor Sixty-eight Sixty percent said they opposed this idea Even Republicans who overwhelmingly support the USA Patriot Act are con con- about this with 58 percent opposing it Several members of the Ohio State patrol in the audience are part of a task force that apprehended Iyman lyman Faris Paris a truck driver from Columbus who said in court documents that he hemet hemet met omet with Osama bin Laden and planned deadly attacks inside the United States Faris Paris who allegedly met with bin Laden at an al- al training camp in Afghanistan was instructed by Khalid Sheik Mohammed one of the masterminds of the 9 11 attacks to carry out a second second second sec sec- ond wave of attacks in 2001 His potential targets reportedly included the Brooklyn Bridge U Using sing authorities granted under the act Faris Paris was arrested in 2003 and later provided authorities with details of his al contacts contacts contacts con con- and terror plans Today instead of planning terror attacks against the American people Iyman lyman Faris Paris is sitting in an American prison Bush said Assistant polling director Claudia Deane in Washington contributed to hi p r. r o lJ |
