FBI getting expanded powers

[Michael]

WASHINGTON — A Justice Department plan would loosen restrictions on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to allow agents to open a national security or criminal investigation against someone without any clear basis for suspicion, Democratic lawmakers briefed on the details said Wednesday.

The Justice Department said Wednesday that in light of requests from members of Congress for more information, Mr. Mukasey would agree not to sign the new guidelines before a Sept. 17 Congressional hearing.

Source (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/washington/21fbi.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&ref=todayspaper&adxnnlx=1219337985-7IFYCEbb5csGQ1flAu2BoQ&oref=slogin)

Looks like this is a done deal. Fucking scary shit!

[Michael]

Here are some recovered replies to this thread...

That's bizarre. I was under the impression that the scared/security argument was losing ground to the civil liberties argument as 9/11 gets farther and farther in the rear-view. You don't seem to have nearly as many people tripping over themselves to cough up their rights as you used to.

/shrug

I guess the politicians are just predictably behind the pulse of the country at large

I think they are ahead of it and pulling hard to drag the country to follow.

The Patriot Act was pulled 'off the shelf' in October 2001. It was the FBI standing wish-list of 'powers' they wanted but Congress had already refused. 9/11 gave the opportunity for this to pass into law. And the vast majority of cases utilizing 'Patriot Act' derived powers have been 'domestic' criminal cases and/or spying on peace-activists (non-terrorism related).

So the way I see it is that the impending departure of Bush Administration is likely to close the window on 'opportunities' for augmenting such powers so the move is being made now to capitalize on that before it is too late to 'slip' a few extras in.