McConnell Baselessly Claims New Expansive FISA Law Responsible For Preventing Terror Attack
McConnell Baselessly Claims New Expansive FISA Law Responsible For Preventing Terror Attack
Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell yesterday tried to claim that the new expansive FISA law adopted by Congress prior to the August recess was responsible for the foiling of a recent alleged terror attack. The New York Times reports that McConnell tried to tie the capture of three Islamic militants accused of planning bomb attacks in Germany to the FISA bill:
Mr. McConnell made his remarks to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. When asked by the chairman, Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, whether the new law that Congress adopted last month facilitated the German arrests, Mr. McConnell said, “Yes, sir, it did.”
Fox News quickly used the comments to drum up support for the administration’s demand for broad spying authority. “Just last week three Germans allegedly planning attacks against US interests were arrested and it was partly due to a strengthened Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in danger now of being scaled back by Democrats in Congress,” Fox reported. Watch it:
McConnell’s statements have no basis in reality, but rather, appear to be an effort to build public support for the new FISA law that expires in five months. The Times reported today that a government official said “McConnell might have misspoken.” In fact, the information gathered ahead of the alleged German attacks was done under the prior FISA law — the law that required warrants:
[T]he official, who has been briefed on the eavesdropping laws and the information given to the Germans, said that those intercepts were recovered last year under the old law.
Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) sent a letter to McConnell demanding that he back up his claims. The letter states:
Please state whether a specific decision was made to de-classify the information you provided to the Senate Committee and, if so, when, by whom, under what authority, and what was the specific background and explanation. In addition, please clarify whether the intercepts in question were foreign-to-foreign, as your statement implied, and whether they were in fact obtained under the old FISA law or the new FISA law.
UPDATE: Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), a member of the House intelligence committee, issued this statement:
“Contrary to DNI McConnell’s remarks before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Reform Committee yesterday, the so-called ‘Protect America Act’ played no role in uncovering the recent German terrorist plot. Those arrests were made with the assistance of intelligence gathered under U.S. laws in effect earlier this year. The DNI knew that going into the hearing. The questions remain why he asserted otherwise during the hearing, and why he has yet to correct the record.
“The German terror case in question is another example of why I voted against the ‘Protect America Act’ when it came to the House floor in August. Our existing collection activities are working well overall, uncovering potential terrorist plots in Europe and elsewhere. While some technical adjustments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) might be in order, the bill the Congress passed last month went far beyond what was necessary by effectively suspending the Fourth Amendment. I’ll be exploring these issues with DNI McConnell in future oversight hearings.”
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43 Responses to “McConnell Baselessly Claims New Expansive FISA Law Responsible For Preventing Terror Attack”
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The bush adminstration: "We Just Make Things Up"
September 11th, 2007 at 4:24 pmWas one of them the Tooth Fairy?
September 11th, 2007 at 4:25 pmThe bush administration, after being caught: "Those Things We Just Made Up? We Might Have Misspoke."
September 11th, 2007 at 4:26 pmGeeze, it's only a little fabrication. And heck, who really needs that old-fashioned 4th Amendment, when we have islamofascists to smoke out.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:27 pmAnd hell, our government would never spy on Americans for political purposes, would it? (snark)
the new FISA law also lets you eat anything you want and never gain weight!!
September 11th, 2007 at 4:27 pmAnd our government would never use federal agencies to campaign for g.o.p.ers? (double snark)
September 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pmMcConnel's claim about the updated FISA law helping capture the German terrorists (Muzzies who never assimilated to Euro culture) is certainly not "baseless" as Toilet Paper's hate-site alleges. The basis for TP's discrediting of McConnell is a cowardly anonymous source quoted by the paper of treason, the NYT--the Times aids terrorists by divulging secret surveillance and financial tracking programs. The rule in journalism is that if you use anonymous sources, you have no credibility because you can't be double-checked. So, the thinking person would rather trust McConnell--honorable DNE--than an invented "official" at the NYT. The updated FISA law actually wasn't updated; it was merely sustained in its original form from Demoncratic threats to make it more unhelpful via the requirement of warrants for even overseas surveillance. The issuing of warrants, as any intel official will tell you, is a burden because terror suspects will already have changed location by the time they're granted.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:30 pmNo reason for bush or his flunkies to lie to America? It's not like they didn't study history, learn from their mistakes or fail to plan? (three snarks a lady)
September 11th, 2007 at 4:31 pmAmerica is reponsible for not a single good thing in the world. It's all the fault of whitey, even though I'm one of them.
If whitey makes an effort, we shouldn't recognize it. Clear?
September 11th, 2007 at 4:33 pmThinkprogress should never actually report on progress. It should instead be an overclogged board of frivilous complaints.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pmUh, the Republicans pulled this same crap over the arrests in Chicago last June. The basis for those claims? Nothing, as usual.
Not nearly as bad as Condi blowing the cover of the Brits' operation against the Khan network, but just as silly.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pm.
7. You should pray every day that we keep the 4th Amendment strong. Cause you could be the next one our government spies on without a warrant. Then you can go scream for a lawyer or your mommy, because no one will speak for you.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pm9 and 10: You aren't an American, because your use of syntax, punctuation and grammer suck.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:38 pmThinkprogress should never actually report on progress. It should instead be an overclogged board of frivilous complaints.
Comment by Shayne — September 11, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Like this one? Get over yourself.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:38 pmHey, troll. Two of the three people arrested were ethnic Germans. One of them was named "Fritz" and had blond hair.
"The rule in journalism?" What rule? You don't know what you're talking about.
Haven't you learned anything about taking "honorable" Bush administration officials at their word? Where's your head, troll? South of Baghdad, east, west, and north somewhat?
The updated FISA law actually wasn’t updated; it was merely sustained in its original form from Demoncratic threats to make it more unhelpful via the requirement of warrants for even overseas surveillance.
Wrong. The issue of disagreement was about communications where one party was in the United States. Foreign-to-foreign communications have never, ever been covered by FISA, and have never, ever required warrants.
The issuing of warrants, as any intel official will tell you, is a burden because terror suspects will already have changed location by the time they’re granted.
That's why FISA allowed the government to get a retroactive warrant within 72 hours of the eavesdropping beginning. But you knew that, right?
September 11th, 2007 at 4:38 pmif yooooou're..... a closeted gay repuglican call a press conference....tap tap. if you're a closeted gay repuglican call a press conference.....tap tap. if you're a closeted gay repuglican and your scared to surely show it....if you're a closeted gay repuglican call a press conference. tap TAP
September 11th, 2007 at 4:39 pmThe right is poorly represented here. Conyers asks the right questions. It's called being held accountable. The whole checks and balance thing this country is founded on.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:41 pmMr. Peetard
Please report to the principal's office.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:42 pmNo. 7, why is an unnamed "government official" no good when exposing right-wing lies, but it worked beautifully back in the good ol' days when Karl Rove needed to get his spin out there without anyone knowing it was him?
Oh, I see. IOKIYAR.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:42 pm"When asked by the chairman, Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, whether the new law that Congress adopted last month facilitated the German arrests, Mr. McConnell said, “Yes, sir, it did.â€
"Softball" Lieberman sets up McConnell for the hit!
September 11th, 2007 at 4:43 pmComment #1 is exactly correct. They just make things up as they go and this guy is an Admiral in the Navy for Christ sake. He should have enough intregrity to tell the truth and not work for an administration that is trying to turn this country into a dictatorship. If you doubt my claim of an attempted dictatorship, then just examine the actions they've taken without authority and in violation of law. Not to mention the recent attempt to spy on the US with spy satelites. They can't find Bin Laden, but they want to use spy satelites to spy on us. If that doesn't smack of the old Soviet Union communist system, I don't know what does.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:43 pmComment by upside00 — September 11, 2007 @ 4:38 pm
Keep it up, KKKarl, bootlicking community college boy.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:50 pmbush to give prime time speech, Thursday; plans to keep present levels of troops in Iraq until next summer.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:52 pmPetraeus and Crocker: woof, woof, neigh, neigh, woof, woof, neigh, neigh
This is getting out of hand. These are law makers for crying out loud. someone needs to put a stop to this shit.
September 11th, 2007 at 4:54 pmKeep it up, KKKarl, bootlicking community college boy.
Comment by shane — September 11, 2007 @ 4:50 pm
Projecting here, are we?
September 11th, 2007 at 4:57 pmComment by upside00 — September 11, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
I do that all the time. You're just now calling me out on that?
TRAITOR! GO ENLIST! BLAH BLAH BLAH!
September 11th, 2007 at 5:01 pmWhat options really remain for dealing with these lying scumbags in Congress and the media?
September 11th, 2007 at 5:02 pmLieberman to Petraeus: Is it time to give you authority to go into Iran?
Petraeus: No thanks.
Lieberman is a very, very dangerous man. Connecticut, what is wrong with you!
September 11th, 2007 at 5:03 pmPlease pay close attention. This is all about granting the Ma Bells and ATTs the immunity they seek so they don't get sued for breaking the law and helping the gov spy without warrants.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:04 pmTRAITOR! GO ENLIST! BLAH BLAH BLAH!
Comment by shane — September 11, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
Again with all that projecting. You need some serious help, son.
And I did my time in combat over 35 years ago, now is your time to step up to the plate.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:06 pmI'm not a boy, therefore not a "son." I'm a senior citizen just like you. C'mon, I'm shane, the regular TP troll-basher!
TRAITOR!
September 11th, 2007 at 5:11 pmShane, Shayne, so confusing! But, of course, I am not a traitor. Gotta watch how you throw that term around.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:16 pmThe neocons leave their red stains all over the fabric of American democracy. Makes Monica's stained blue dress look irrelevant, which it always was.
September 11th, 2007 at 5:22 pmThe Repugs don't care about the truth; who wants to be an admiral when you could be gauleiter of Atlanta?
September 11th, 2007 at 5:26 pmI'm shocked!!! Shocked I tell you!! To hear that a Bush Administration f*cktard is flat-out lying and simply making thing up to justify unconstitutional laws and policies!
September 11th, 2007 at 7:12 pmBe advised most of this FISA stuff is classified, so we really don't know what impact it's had. This thread is more TP BS.
September 11th, 2007 at 9:11 pmMcConnell perjured himself.
European newspapers reported that the German terrorist cell was first uncovered late last year through U.S. intercepts under the old FISA law, with the intervening months between then and their recent arrest devoted to German authorities keeping them under surveillance and building their case against them.
The only reason BushCo and other culture of corruption Republicans put forward this FISA "revision" law at this time was to provide retroactive legal cover for all the U.S. telecommunications companies that have been participating in BushCo's illegal, warrantless wire-tapping of U.S. citizens since even before the 9/11 attacks.
The old FISA law worked great, but only if in the hands of competent people, which, of course, immediately rules out anyone at the top levels of the Bush administration. For instance, one of the 9/11 hijackers was arrested several weeks before the 9/11 attacks, after a Mid-West flight school notified the FBI about this guy's strange behavior. (He only wanted to learn how to fly 747s, not learn how to take-off or land them). This guy had a computer that field FBI agents wanted to check, so they contacted top Bush officials at the FBI for authority to do so. These officials said a warrant would be necessary, so turned down the request. These field FBI agents deperately tried to get this guy extradited to England, so a search could finally be conducted of his computer, once he was in British hands. He was scheduled to be flown to England on 9/11.
Of course, the old FISA law authorizes law enforcement to conduct a search without a warrant, with the proviso that law enforcement must apply for a retroactive warrant from the FISA court within several days (normal) or two weeks (time of war). This thwarted 9/11 hijackers computer, therefore, could have been checked a couple of weeks before 9/11, if only the top Bush officials at the FBI had followed the old FISA law's protocols.
This proves, to me at least, that the Bush administration missed numerous opportunities to stop the 9/11 attacks, including using the old FISA to get at this guy's computer. According to the 9/11 Commission Report, there were plenty of pre-9/11 dots to connect, as long as someone at the top levels of the Bush adminstration had been awake and willing to connect the dots...instead of obsessing over their planned war with Iraq.
So, unlike the lies in "The Path to 9/11," the blood of all the people who died on 9/11 is solely on the hands of all the Bush administration officials, including the president's, who dropped our nation's guard before 9/11. Ever since then, everyone at BushCo and all Republicans are trying to hide their blood-soaked hands behind their backs, hoping no one will notice the blood of the 9/11 victims dripping, dripping, dripping...as well as the blood of Hurricane Katrina victims dripping, dripping, dripping...as well as the blood of mine-collapse victims dripping, dripping, dripping...and how can we forget the blood of all our soldiers (and Iraqis) killed over in Iraq after BushCo hyped and started a totally unnecessary and non-al Qaeda-related war...dripping, dripping, dripping.
No matter how hard Republicans try to hide the blood dripping from their hands by hiding behind lie after lie after lie, I'm not fooled. Nor am I fooled by their evil intent toward our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our founding fathers (and mothers) would be shocked at what Republicans (and a few Democrats) have tried to do, or have done, to our great nation in the name of God and George W. Bush. Evil is as evil does, and I really doubt the God of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is behind anything these war-mongering conservatives have done...and continue to do.
September 11th, 2007 at 9:40 pmThe issuing of warrants, as any intel official will tell you, is a burden because terror suspects will already have changed location by the time they’re granted.
Comment by FISAshouldn'tberedefinedbyDemtraitors — September 11, 2007 @ 4:30 pm
Bullshit. Bush still goes to FISA for domestic surveillance. That could include, I imagine, one terrorist in LA talking to another in Dallas, both using U.S. based landline phone systems. Funny that Bush doesn't have time to go to FISA for domestic-international calls, but has plenty of time for domestic-domestic calls. Nobody in the Bush administration can explain this discrepancy.
September 11th, 2007 at 9:57 pmYea, when the ragheads hit DC you VERY FUNNY leftist are going to have shit all over your faces; but then a shitty face liberal looks no different than a raghead. Then what are all these poor, underprivileged folks without health insurance and welfare going to do? Won't matter then will it? Maybe the ragheads will have pity and slit your throat really fast or stick a grenade up your great sphincter, YO!!!!
September 12th, 2007 at 3:20 amGee. When all else fails, LIE.
And Hussein OBobby, dearheart, if you're so vewwy vewwy afraid - why don't YOU go to Iraq and kick you some big bad raghead terrorist ass...?
We wouldn't miss you. At. All.
September 12th, 2007 at 4:28 pmif you think McConnel "recklessly" lied to Congress, why isn't he being impeached or charged with purjury? Oh, that's right: Law enforcement by Congress is "off the table." Hypcrites!
September 12th, 2007 at 4:57 pmMcConnell and other right wing extremists can defend their ideas with lies only because all facts speak against their radical agenda.
September 13th, 2007 at 8:26 amLENINISTS.All of them.Repeat a lie long enough and it becomes truth.And the Homer Simpsons of America buy this crap daily and spew it forth as if it were gospel.Truly a bunch of maroons.
September 13th, 2007 at 1:23 pm