FBI Screw up? How much more are we going to stand for?

Question

The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department audit concluded Friday.

And for three years the FBI has underreported to Congress how often it forced businesses to turn over the customer data, the audit found.

FBI agents sometimes demanded the data without proper authorization, according to the 126-page audit by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine. At other times, the audit found, the FBI improperly obtained telephone records in non-emergency circumstances.
Fine's annual review is required by Congress, over the objections of the Bush administration.

The audit released Friday found that the number of national security letters issued by the FBI skyrocketed in the years after the Patriot Act became law.

Answer 1

So it's ok if the drug dealers get your info but not the FBI. I can think of alot of things they should be getting than what they did!!! Is it the Injustice Dept or the Justice Dept?

Answer 2

Guess who else did it....
1994, the Clinton administration argued that the president has "inherent authority" to order physical searches — including break-ins at the homes of U.S. citizens — for foreign intelligence purposes without any warrant or permission from any outside body. Even after the administration ultimately agreed with Congress's decision to place the authority to pre-approve such searches in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, President Clinton still maintained that he had sufficient authority to order such searches on his own.
"The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes," Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994, "and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General."
Gorelick said the administration would go along a congressional decision to place such searches under the court — if, as she testified, it "does not restrict the president's ability to collect foreign intelligence necessary for the national security."
Congress placed the searches under the FISA court, but the Clinton administration did not back down from its contention that the president had the authority to act when necessary.
If it saves lives why complain..

Answer 3

It is one thing to say that we will not stand for anymore intrusion of our rights but what does that mean?

Does the Patriot Act save lives? Although there can be some evidence of this, does this use cross the line?

Does it invade our rights to live free of government interference? Is the FBI collecting information on all citizens to enslave a huge portion of the population one day?

Those are questions that may never get answered if the Bush administration has its way. Saying that they are doing all this for the good of the country is like them telling you that your tax dollars are being well spent. Yeah, right!

Answer 4

I'd like for the details to come out and be understood before making a judgment. Often these stories are sensationalized, and then the correction is not published so widely.

No one wants people to be breaking the law. I'm sure it will be dealt with.

I think Bush should call the Democrats' bluff. Any troop deployment or intelligence program the Democrats don't like, un-do it! Bush shouldn't do a thing with respect to national security that the Democrats don't approve. Let him be an ineffectial figurehead, making inconsequential speeches, riding Air Force One and watching the polls every minute, like his predecessor, and whatever happens in terms of attacks, happens. No more of Bush taking all this unbelievable garbage for trying to explain and protect against threats. He's got HIS protection, so why should he keep banging his head against a wall for others?

That's what people voted for (Democrats) - give it to them. I think he's starting to give up already, in some ways. Why should he bother?

Answer 5

Is it true that they have been abusing the Patriot Act? Then, perhaps you should not only get angry for what they have done, but help them with ideas on how to accomplish their mission without incurring in such practice.

National Security is the responsibility of each and everyone of us. In my personal experience, I can tell you that they welcome constructive criticism.

Yes, I know that they make too many silly mistakes, like providing erroneous information to the USCIS which in turn causes US Citizens to be sent to foreign countries as if we were aliens. But what good would it do just to compaint and do not give them our point of view?

I was able to get one of such US Citizens repatriated back to America, (USEMB gave him his new passport), after 11 years stranded in foreign soil. Another American has been in a foreign country for the past 4 years thanks to the error of the FBI, and I hope to get him repatriated soon.

Even when I complained to the FBI for the mistakes they made, I also gave them ideas about how to prevent further errors. I know that some of those ideas were thrown in the trash, but others now form part of the interagency protocol.

You see? Contact the FBI Public Affairs Office if you have any complaints, and send themn your suggestions on how to make things better for them and for you. You will not regret it.

Answer 6

They will keep walking all over us until we string them all up on the white house lawn. How much are we going to stand for? Ha...a hell of a lot. Americans are apathetic toward well...anything that dosn't immediately impact thier lives. The average American won't even raise their voice until we are all locked in prison camps and working slave labor...hell...even at that point i doubt they will do anything about it.

Answer 7

They have to follow the rules set up by Edgar Hoover.

Answer 8

This is true...I watched Mueller testify this morning to Congress. Don't ya'll ever watch CNN and C-Span?

Answer 9

teh FBI broke many laws in destroying the KKK as an organization in the 1960's....and I'm sure many victims of Klan violence are glad they did

Answer 10

oh well, they have to do what they need to do to make sure America will be safe. let them do their job. at least we know Americans are behaving them self's. if they need to audit me i would say welcome. I'm happy they are doing their job we pay them to do with our tax dollars. i wonder if they was doing nothing how many americans would complain?