Gov't seeks more than 1,700 secret warrants

Gov't seeks more than 1,700 secret warrants
Thursday - 5/3/2012 -- WTOP Radio, Washington D.C.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department made 1,745 requests to a secret court for authority to wiretap or search for evidence in terrorism and espionage investigations last year.

That's according to an April 30 letter from the department to the Senate that was first reported Thursday by the Federation of American Scientists.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which meets in secret to hear classified evidence from government attorneys, did not reject any of the requests, though judges did require modifications to 30 requests.

Some people view this as a good way to secretly identify and survey terrorists.

Some think it may be successful in stopping attacks.

Others think it may be an infringement on rights.

Are all the "targets" foreigners ?

Are any Americans included in the 'warrants" ?

I believe these "warrants" are the FISA warrants.

It was an increase over 2010, when the department made 1,579 requests.

The FBI also made 16,511 national security letter requests for information regarding 7,201 people last year. The letters allow officials to collect virtually unlimited kinds of sensitive, private information like financial and phone records.

That is down from 2010, when 24,287 requests for information regarding 14,212 people were made.

Background

Congress in 1978 established the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court as a special court and authorized the Chief Justice of the United States to designate seven federal district court judges to review applications for warrants related to national security investigations. Judges serve for staggered, non-renewable terms of no more than seven years, and must be from different judicial circuits. The provisions for the court were part of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (92 Stat. 1783), which required the government, before it commenced certain kinds of intelligence gathering operations within the United States, to obtain a judicial warrant similar to that required in criminal investigations. The legislation was a response to a report of the Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities (the “Church Committee”), which detailed allegations of executive branch abuses of its authority to conduct domestic electronic surveillance in the interest of national security. Congress also was responding to the Supreme Court’s suggestion in a 1972 case that under the Fourth Amendment some kind of judicial warrant might be required to conduct national security related investigations.

Warrant applications under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act are drafted by attorneys in the General Counsel’s Office at the National Security Agency at the request of an officer of one of the federal intelligence agencies. Each application must contain the Attorney General’s certification that the target of the proposed surveillance is either a “foreign power” or “the agent of a foreign power” and, in the case of a U.S. citizen or resident alien, that the target may be involved in the commission of a crime.

The judges of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court travel to Washington, D.C., to hear warrant applications on a rotating basis. To ensure that the court can convene on short notice, at least one of the judges is required to be a member of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The act of 1978 also established a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, presided over by three district or appeals court judges designated by the Chief Justice, to review, at the government’s request, the decisions the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Because of the almost perfect record of the Department of Justice in obtaining the surveillance warrants and other powers it requested from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the review court had no occasion to meet until 2002. The USA Patriot Act of 2001 (115 Stat. 272) expanded the time periods for which the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court can authorize surveillance and increased the number of judges serving the court from seven to eleven.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

Related

United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (wiki)

1700 ats'rs ?

RUN!!!

Their targets are Napolintanos" " You might be a terrorist list"

which btw does describe ATS readship so tru dat.

reply to post by xuenchen

Are any Americans included in the 'warrants" ?

Probably some Americans on ATS who expose the corrupted Government. Do you honestly think they don't hawk this site? You are kidding yourself if you don't think they do. No one has done anything wrong, but if exposing shills on ATS is warrant worthy then I'm one of the 1,700

There goes a large portion of our contributers.

*hides*

Seriously thought the wording is meant to be so vague might be possible anyone here could or else where may be in trouble.

reply to post by dreamingawake


Nah, hiding would just let them win...I rather be a pain in the rear, and make it harder for them to spread dis info...

reply to post by xuenchen

From your OP

It was an increase over 2010, when the department made 1,579 requests. The FBI also made 16,511 national security letter requests for information regarding 7,201 people last year. The letters allow officials to collect virtually unlimited kinds of sensitive, private information like financial and phone records. That is down from 2010, when 24,287 requests for information regarding 14,212 people were made.

Phone tapping sources have been legal since the 90s. Now with CISPA, ISP corps will hand over data when asked of because of the law. So what you put in writing this time will REALLY(not just some outside site or weekend crusader taking public notes) be the judge of you. Enjoy folks.

Originally posted by KonquestAbySS
reply to post by dreamingawake

 

Nah, hiding would just let them win...I rather be a pain in the rear, and make it harder for them to spread dis info...

Exactly. I can't beat them at least I know where they might be taking me
ps, I'm only half serious.

hey i can dig that!!

Originally posted by KonquestAbySS

Do you honestly think they don't hawk this site? You are kidding yourself if you don't think they do.

Hmmm you gotta be a shill making comments designed to scare people

Just kiddin

reply to post by VoidHawk


If that was the case I would be starting multiple threads about Ron Paul... Sorry I don't stoop down to the level of the pro-obama, pro-romney crowd... I just want a better economy and honest leaders. That is all...

"Secret" warrants? Everything seems to be in secret lately.
PS~ There was a white van outside of my house today when I came home from the bank.. just sitting there w/one man inside that I could see. No windows [other than windshield and drivers/passengers doors], no logo. He appeared to be writing something, but I just figured it was somebody working for a utility co. So much is contracted out these days..