How do citizens keep FBI in check when it is completely out of control? Serious question.?

Question

"FBI frequently overstepped in collecting data "

Jun. 14- "An internal FBI audit has found that the bureau potentially violated the law or agency rules more than 1,000 times while collecting data about domestic phone calls, emails and financial transactions in recent years, far more than was documented in a Justice Department report in March that ignited bipartisan congressional criticism.

The new audit covers just 10 percent of the bureau's national security investigations since 2002, and so the mistakes in the FBI's domestic surveillance efforts probably number several thousand, bureau officials said in interviews. The earlier report found 22 violations in a much smaller sampling.

The vast majority of the new violations were instances in which telephone companies and internet providers gave agents phone and email records the agents did not request and were not authorized to collect. "

"The agents retained the information anyway in their files, which mostly concerned suspected terrorist or espionage activities.

But two dozen of the newly-discovered violations involved agents' requests for information that US law did not allow them to have, according to the audit results provided to The Washington Post. Only two such examples were identified earlier in the smaller sample."

Source: (Washington Post)

**************************
"FBI terror watch list 'out of control'"

Jun. 13- "A terrorist watch list compiled by the FBI has apparently swelled to include more than half a million names.

Privacy and civil liberties advocates say the list is growing uncontrollably, threatening its usefulness in the war on terror.

The bureau says the number of names on its terrorist watch list is classified.

A portion of the FBI's unclassified 2008 budget request posted to the Department of Justice website, however, refers to "the entire watch list of 509,000 names," which is utilized by its Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force."

"A spokesman for the interagency National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which maintains the government's list of all suspected terrorists with links to international organizations, said they had 465,000 names covering 350,000 individuals.

In addition to the NCTC list, the FBI keeps a list of US persons who are believed to be domestic terrorists -- abortion clinic bombers, for example, or firebombing environmental extremists, who have no known tie to an international terrorist group."

Source: (ABC News)

TO JOHN L: Please READ the article. It clearly states that the FBI broke the law. Is that what you call "doing a good job?"

Jesus Christ. Why do you cons honestly believe that The Man is "above the law?"

To Sally: You regurgitated your training VER BATIM. Nicely done.

Has NOTHING to do with my question or the article.

The FBI is bound by LAW just like you and me, babe. And the second they break the law at their whim, we are living in a police state.

How can it possibly be that some people REFUSE to face reality?

To Ray: And something tells ME that you will break the law in a SECOND if it suits your purposes.

"With great power comes great responsibility."

To Kobainci: Dude. Are you seriously insane?
Listen, if you want to email me @ [e-mail] and share your email address with me, I'll be happy to share some stories with you about "Law Enforcement" in this country. Believe me, no sane person is going to say "Al Queda" out loud around here.

But I understand what you're saying. It just won't work here. People are too much aware of how uber-violent our Law Enforcement agencies have become. Personally, I haven't been to a protest in years. This administration has been extremely successful in shutting down any dissenting voices.

I mean, for God's sake, they've infiltrated QUAKERS and local environmental groups serving cookies at meetings. Seriously. It has gotten WAY out of hand.

To Baron: Sorry, love. Trite homilies have NO PLACE in this country in regards to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights.
And besides, WE ARE NOT AT WAR.

Yes, I want America to "wake up and smell the coffee, too." To wake up to the harsh reality that our freedoms and rights are swirling down the drain.

The FBI, the CIA, and all the rest of the governmental organizations are NOT allowed to break the law.

PERIOD.

Answer 1

First, I think that with joint terrorism task forces, the FBI is picking up bad habits from the CIA. The CIA, since it's mandate is to investigate OUTSIDE the country against NON-CITIZENS, has never had to worry about the rights of the people it is investigating. I think the FBI is starting to pick up that same mindset and use it against US citizens. This is a violation of their rights.

Second, I think that the phone companies and internet providers should be more vocal in defending the privacy of their customers. Certainly, they should not be handing this data over without a warrant.

Third, I think that the infection spreads from the top. If the President, the Vice President, and the Attorney General are supporting the FBI in these investigations, and are IN FACT AUTHORIZING them, then it's only a matter of time before the entire agency realizes that they can disregard people's rights without fear of punishment.

So two things have to happen to change this, and WE, THE PEOPLE can make it happen.

First, any time a company turns your private information over to the Feds without a warrant, SUE THEM. Get a class action suit and take them to court, get as many people to join you as you can. One lawsuit should be all that it takes to convince the company to institute a policy of REQUIRING a warrant before they turn data over to the Feds. Your goal is not to win cash from the company, but to force a change in policy. The ACLU will no doubt support you in this measure.

Second, VOTE! Vote for a President who will defend your rights. Write your Congressmen and tell them about how your rights were violated and ASK THEM WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT. If they don't do anything, VOTE for someone else. Congressmen will do practically ANYTHING to stay in office, even defend your Constitutional rights.

Finally, as an aside, look for news articles about companies that have REFUSED to turn data over to the Feds. When you find one, give THEM your business and suggest to others they do the same. When you cancel your business with the company that violated your privacy, be sure write them and tell them WHY you are cancelling your contracts.

This is all part of my policy that WE THE PEOPLE are the government of the United States, and we have left it in the hands of incompetents for far, far too long.

ACT, VOTE, TAKE CONTROL.

Answer 2

When the regime changes (and it will), one appoints a special prosecutor and puts the rogue agents in federal prison, where they will no doubt encounter other people whom they railroaded. Then it will be a question of wife, husband, or greasy spot on the floor.

The scarier thing is that the rogues have reached the highest level in the military as well. General Taguba was defenestrated because he would not lie. Sad to see that the one doing the defenestration was a West Point grad, but those of us who work with and around the greencoats have known for some time that the West Point honor system teaches officers how not to get caught. Most greencoats (oy, we need a new term for them now that green is being phased out) think nothing of lying and get mighty steamed if you say that you don't tolerate lying, 'cos lying is a way of life in the US Army.

Just ask Antonio Taguba. An honorable man serving a dishonorable master.

Answer 3

When you are 'led' by an administration that believes that borders on paranoia, and making people afraid, most are more than willing to give up their Constitutional rights in the name of safety. Your article just continues to highlight the point that any agency, left unguarded will abuse their power. There is no repercussions, there is no problem (as one of your responses shows).

The Justice department is led by someone that is a 'yes' man to torture, the FBI pushes not just the intent, but letter of the law to keep paranoia as high as possible, whether credible or not.

We can only hope and pray that in the next election, a full accounting of what has happened, who did it, and who endorsed it will come into the VERY public view.

Answer 4

When the head of the Justice Department is a liar and an accomplice to treason by the Executive Branch, what do we expect from the FBI?

When MONSTERS run the store, they hire MONSTERS to do their bidding!

It is sad but true... Our system is broken because of the manipulation of a couple of elections and the actions of a relatively few Neo-Cons. I hope we can survive.

Hold a minute... I think I hear the black helicopter which is coming to take me to Gitmo!

Answer 5

Easy. Overwhelm them.
Good intelligence work is characterized by the capacity to discern between good and bad leads. The revamped Intelligence agencies have established the purely political policy of following every goddam lead.
SO come out every freak, druggie and dissident... like a pack of zebras, they can't get us all.
Every time you pick up the phone say a key word... you know, like 'ludes, or ganja or Black Power. Speak loudly in crowded spaces about your uninhibitable drive to strangle the pope, or your Al Qaeda links, wear T-Shirts saying Legalize It, or I am a card caryying member of the communist party.

Overwhelm those zealous losers so that they stop harassing the good folks trying to spread social justice and peace in this country long forsaken by god. .

Answer 6

Actually, we really can't. We complain about the presidency and congress quite frequently, but we do have a smidgen of oversight on those bodies. We loosely have control over the judiciary, through our elected presidents. But the CIA and FBI; we have no control over. And members of those agencies do not necessarily leave when we elect new leadership.

I don't believe we have any power over the FBI, CIA, military, etc...

Answer 7

We found out after the events on Sept. 11 that the FBI was far too constrained. It couldn't swap vital information on the activities of terrorists in America with other intelligence agencies.

Why? Because the Clintonistas constructed the notorious "wall" between agencies.

Why? Because they thought American law enforcement and intelligence agencies were a bigger threat to American freedom and American lives than terrorism.

3,000 murdered Americans say they were wrong.

Answer 8

Whats that old saying? "In war and love everything is allowed" ? ;) Good morning America... Wake up and smell the coffee...

Answer 9

They are public SERVANTS, not MASTERS. They work for US, we DON'T work for THEM.
If this happened under Clinton, the Neo-Cons would go nuts. One word: Waco.

Answer 10

Question Authority -- AND NEVER STOP!