"I do not advocate violating anyone’s civil rights. I do advocate using any and all tools within the framework of the law to help guarantee our safety and wellbeing."
_____________________________________
Impediments to Making Us Safer
By Dennis Lormel
On September 12, I posted an article on the Counterterrorism Blog addressing the question “are we safer as a nation now than we were before 9/11”. I stated that we were safer but not safe, which is a prevailing theme. I attributed our safety, in great part, to the government agencies at the federal, state and local level, which are responsible for protecting us against the threat of terrorism. On the federal level, agencies to include the FBI, CIA and Treasury have transformed themselves to better meet the challenges confronting them.
Continued...
Unfortunately, there are impediments which make protecting us a more difficult task, thereby jeopardizing our safety. Since assuming the position Director of National Security, Mike McConnell has articulated the need for enhanced intelligence collection capabilities. It is critically important that our intelligence agencies be given the tools to maximize the collection of valuable intelligence information.
Detractors contend the government has too much authority and is infringing on the privacy rights of our citizenry. What they fail to accept is the government intent is not to spy on the public. The government intent is to collect meaningful intelligence to prevent acts of terrorism. After all there is one certainty, given the opportunity, terrorists will attack us. It’s unfortunate that many detractors show more distain toward the government then they do to terrorists.
Congress is currently assessing this issue. It is a daunting task because they have to weigh the level of authority granted to the government against the risk of the terrorist threat and the risk to civil liberties. There is a sensitive balance that must be struck. It is inc-umbent that Congress act responsibly and provide the government with the necessary collection authority while safeguarding our civil rights. Congress should hold the government accountable for how the authority is used by ensuring they provide consistent and visible non-partisan oversight.
Another troubling impediment is that a Judge in the Southern District of New York ruled National Security Letters (NSLs) unconstitutional. Hopefully, this ruling will be overturned on appeal by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Detractors of NSLs have painted them as being abusive and intrusive. They are neither. NSLs have been a viable and valuable investigative tool. Regardless of the outcome of DOJs appeal, Congress should review the NSL law and amend it to ensure its constitutionality. As noted above, NSLs are a valuable investigative tool.
I do not advocate violating anyone’s civil rights. I do advocate using any and all tools within the framework of the law to help guarantee our safety and wellbeing. Its time for Congress to take real action, genuinely assess the needs of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and ensure they are given intelligence collection mechanisms that are powerful and within legal parameters.
