Comments on: You Know Its Illegal

By: The American Street » Blog Archive » These People Are Fighting against the Repression and the Criminal Acts

Thu, 18 May 2006 19:33:50 +0000

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By: Bryan

Bryan — Sat, 13 May 2006 15:36:29 +0000

Nothing against Glenn, but in the context of NSA the laws are simple based on the rules that are long established. Anything that got close to the edge was handed off to the civilians. The CIA and FBI could worry about the niceties of the law, the NSA stopped well short of the edge.

The military really was ready, willing, and able to help after Katrina struck but it was stopped by the Posse Comitatus restrictions. If it knows it can’t help Americans in the US without specific permissions, why would anyone believe that it can spy on Americans without those same permissions?

People forget about the huge row because the FBI received combat medical training from the military prior to the Branch Davidian operation. If teaching advanced first aid to a civilian agency is a big deal, why would anyone believe that spying on US citizens isn’t?

By: Steve Bates

Steve Bates — Sat, 13 May 2006 13:33:15 +0000

It is ironic that the first widespread public knowledge of the NSA comes about just as a presidential administration is involving it in very likely illegal activities (Glenn Greenwald has several posts lately about the legal issues, which apparently are not as simple as one might think), activities pretty well guaranteed to offend a large percentage of Americans (notwithstanding the WaPo’s fake flash poll).

Before this, or at least before Bush’s preznitcy, I knew of the NSA, but I didn’t know anything about the NSA, and I certainly never gave it any thought. The public’s attention to its activities can’t make it easier for the agency to do its job. Too late now… Bush spoils everything he touches.

What a waste. This is not about terrorism, and it never was.