Gold9472
01-15-2007, 01:52 PM
Cheney backs Pentagon, CIA use of bank files
But head of House intelligence panel promises a probe
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/15/MNGLJNIPII1.DTL
(Gold9472: Of course he does.)
Mark Mazzetti, New York Times
Monday, January 15, 2007
Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday defended efforts by the Pentagon and the CIA to obtain financial records of Americans suspected of terrorism or espionage, calling the practice a "perfectly legitimate activity" used partly to protect troops stationed on military bases in the United States.
But the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee expressed concern over the expansion of the military's domestic intelligence collection efforts and pledged that his committee will investigate how the Pentagon is using its authority.
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Cheney said "national security letters" issued to banks and credit agencies are an essential tool for investigating terrorism cases in the United States.
He said the Pentagon crossed no legal boundaries in issuing the letters independent of the FBI.
"There's nothing wrong with it or illegal," Cheney said. "It doesn't violate people's civil rights. And if an institution that receives one of these national security letters disagrees with it, they're free to go to court to try to stop its execution."
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his panel will examine the matter.
Reyes also indicated that he might renew efforts to enact a law requiring various agencies to obtain court approval before issuing national security letters.
"Any expansion by the department into intelligence collection, particularly on U.S. soil, is something our committee will thoroughly review," Reyes said.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Pentagon has issued hundreds of letters to American banks and other financial institutions seeking information about suspects in counterterrorism or counterespionage investigations.
Banks are not required to hand over the information, but Pentagon officials said that financial institutions have usually complied.
The CIA also uses the letters as an investigative tool, but issues them far less frequently than does the Pentagon, intelligence officials said.
By law, the Pentagon and the CIA are barred from any domestic law enforcement activities. But government officials said their authority to issue the letters dates back several decades and is strengthened by the USA Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law passed in 2001.
Cheney said Sunday that the letters are valuable for protecting U.S. forces stationed at hundreds of bases in the United States.
Since 9/11, the Pentagon has increased its domestic intelligence collection efforts to help ensure that American bases are protected from potential terrorist attacks.
The efforts have been criticized by civil liberties organizations, which say the Pentagon is using "force protection" to spy on Americans and collect information on groups like war protesters.
The American Civil Liberties Union said Sunday that it has "serious concerns" about the use of the letters by the Pentagon and the CIA, and it called for a congressional investigation to examine the frequency and legal basis for the records demands.
"This country has a long tradition of rejecting the use of the CIA and the Pentagon to spy on Americans, and rightfully so," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU's Washington office.
Pentagon officials said the financial documents obtained through the national security letters usually have not established an individual's links to terrorism or espionage and have rarely led to criminal charges.
But officials said the records still have intelligence value, and the Pentagon plans within the next year to incorporate the records into a database at its Counterintelligence Field Activity office.
With the Democrats now in charge of both houses of Congress, the House and the Senate intelligence committees are planning hearings on various intelligence programs conducted by the Bush administration since Sept. 11, 2001.
At the top of the agenda are hearings on the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program and the CIA's detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.
But head of House intelligence panel promises a probe
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/15/MNGLJNIPII1.DTL
(Gold9472: Of course he does.)
Mark Mazzetti, New York Times
Monday, January 15, 2007
Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday defended efforts by the Pentagon and the CIA to obtain financial records of Americans suspected of terrorism or espionage, calling the practice a "perfectly legitimate activity" used partly to protect troops stationed on military bases in the United States.
But the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee expressed concern over the expansion of the military's domestic intelligence collection efforts and pledged that his committee will investigate how the Pentagon is using its authority.
Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Cheney said "national security letters" issued to banks and credit agencies are an essential tool for investigating terrorism cases in the United States.
He said the Pentagon crossed no legal boundaries in issuing the letters independent of the FBI.
"There's nothing wrong with it or illegal," Cheney said. "It doesn't violate people's civil rights. And if an institution that receives one of these national security letters disagrees with it, they're free to go to court to try to stop its execution."
Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said his panel will examine the matter.
Reyes also indicated that he might renew efforts to enact a law requiring various agencies to obtain court approval before issuing national security letters.
"Any expansion by the department into intelligence collection, particularly on U.S. soil, is something our committee will thoroughly review," Reyes said.
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Pentagon has issued hundreds of letters to American banks and other financial institutions seeking information about suspects in counterterrorism or counterespionage investigations.
Banks are not required to hand over the information, but Pentagon officials said that financial institutions have usually complied.
The CIA also uses the letters as an investigative tool, but issues them far less frequently than does the Pentagon, intelligence officials said.
By law, the Pentagon and the CIA are barred from any domestic law enforcement activities. But government officials said their authority to issue the letters dates back several decades and is strengthened by the USA Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law passed in 2001.
Cheney said Sunday that the letters are valuable for protecting U.S. forces stationed at hundreds of bases in the United States.
Since 9/11, the Pentagon has increased its domestic intelligence collection efforts to help ensure that American bases are protected from potential terrorist attacks.
The efforts have been criticized by civil liberties organizations, which say the Pentagon is using "force protection" to spy on Americans and collect information on groups like war protesters.
The American Civil Liberties Union said Sunday that it has "serious concerns" about the use of the letters by the Pentagon and the CIA, and it called for a congressional investigation to examine the frequency and legal basis for the records demands.
"This country has a long tradition of rejecting the use of the CIA and the Pentagon to spy on Americans, and rightfully so," said Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU's Washington office.
Pentagon officials said the financial documents obtained through the national security letters usually have not established an individual's links to terrorism or espionage and have rarely led to criminal charges.
But officials said the records still have intelligence value, and the Pentagon plans within the next year to incorporate the records into a database at its Counterintelligence Field Activity office.
With the Democrats now in charge of both houses of Congress, the House and the Senate intelligence committees are planning hearings on various intelligence programs conducted by the Bush administration since Sept. 11, 2001.
At the top of the agenda are hearings on the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program and the CIA's detention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.