Another Reason Mr. Bush is Right

Another Reason Mr. Bush is Right About the Wiretaps
By Daniel G. Jennings
Critics of President Bush’s decision not to seek congressional approval for the National Security Agency’s program of electronic surveillance of communication without warrants could actually open the door to far greater federal intrusions into individual privacy.
Bush’s wiretap program is a simple ad hoc measure designed for an extreme situation the war on terror. This program is a wartime measure to counter the terrorists’ tactic of having sleeper agents hiding among our population. Sleeper agents being terrorist operatives living and working as peaceful civilians until they attack us. These sleeper agents have to take their orders from terrorist masterminds overseas. The NSA is trying to monitor these communications which in light of Sept. 11 is a legitimate policy.
The problem is that this program is technically illegal, current law requires that intelligence agents get a search warrant when monitoring private conversations. A reasonable measure back when the spooks were listening for KGB agents talking about swiping weapons plans. Today when they’re listening for Al Qaeda talking about plans to kill hundreds and thousands of people there isn’t the time to get a warrant. There is also security to maintain, going to court might expose intelligence gathering methods and help the bad guys get away.
Many people have wondered why Bush doesn’t go to Congress? For several reasons first because going to Congress spreads knowledge of the intelligence gathering methods, the more people who know the more potential security leaks there are. But there maybe a better reason.
Do we want a permanent law authorizing federal agents to conduct electronic surveillance of private communications without warrants on the books for years or decades to come. Such a law could remain in effect after the war on terror ends giving a future administration legal means to monitor private communications. Worse it could lead to a formal federal wiretapping agency dedicated to monitoring Americans’ communications.
Bush’s simple ad hoc program is a wartime measure that can be shut down when the war ends. Since it is illegal and has no Congressional approval this program will have to end when the war ends. A program with a congressional mandate will continue as long as Congress wants it to.
Getting congress into the act could lead to further infractions. Some Representatives and Senators will undoubtedly try to get the NSA to monitor political groups they don’t like. Feminists may ask the NSA to monitor anti abortion activists, Congressmen from farm states may ask NSA to monitor animal rights activists, pro business Congressmen may want to monitor environmentalists or labor unionists, liberals may want to monitor conservative groups, conservatives to monitor liberals, liberals may want to monitor business groups and so on. Do we want Congressman Slime telling the NSA I can get your budget increased by 25 percent if you could just listen to my opponent in the next election and tell me what he’s planning?
Such is the danger we face if we allow Congress the power to monitor the communications of private citizens. There is most definitely a reason for allowing the NSA to monitor terrorists’ communications. There is no reason to give Congress the power to listen to private conversations.
Yet that is exactly the nightmare we’ll face if we listen to the self proclaimed champions of liberty who decry President Bush’s security measures and demand Congressional action.