| shawmutt..getting back to the thread topic..I have another question or two? If you concede that custioms or border patrol officials have a an official duty( right and mandate) to search the persons and luggage of persons entering this country(and of course security persons at terminals and airports are included) then why the furor over an electronic search of communications from known or suspected international terrorists?
Thats the routine procedure in this country and is virtually unquestioned? I think the term reasonable applies?
Next question, even if FISA searches are run through a standard sequence, is it possible that one or more parties involved are innocent US citizens? Does the execution of a FISA warrant not result in a possible innocent party being surveilled? Remember we haven't (in the FISA process) predetermined what the status of the call recipients/s is.. it could be friend or foe? Again, compare it to the process at our borders and in our air terminals?
Another point...Is the interference by the Legislative and now the Judicial Branch a violation of executive privilege(in the sense that the Commander in Chief is understood to have a duty to try to determine enemy intentions in a war against international terrorism?) If the FISA process is a reasonable means of obtaining early information of known terrorist intentions of connections in this country do the other Branches have a right to veto or nullify it?
Thus we play the fools with the time, and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us. |