Contact the After Downing Street Coalition

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/17/18467586.php
Will NSA illegal Electronic Spying, be used to Seize Citizens’ Homes?

by Dan Scott

Stop “Retroactive Immunity” for Phone Companies that helped NSA spy on Americans!

Determining what NSA electronic surveillance can be used by police or introduced into court by Government, may be the next battle Americans have to fight.

Senator Dodd plans to Filibuster a FISA bill that will give “Retroactive Immunity” to Telecoms that helped NSA spy on Americans’ phone calls, faxes and emails? If the government provides the Telecoms “Retroactive Immunity” at least forty lawsuits filed against those companies will be trashed. Not so obvious is what will happen to NSA’s millions of illegally collected emails, faxes and personal phone call information that belong to U.S. Citizens? Will that information be deleted or copied?

Depending on the legal method U.S. Government devises to let the phone companies off the hook for spying on Americans, could set NSA free—to share its “illegally collected wiretap information” with local, state and federal police to initiate ordinary domestic criminal investigations.

Determining what NSA electronic surveillance can be used by police or introduced into court by Government, may be the next battle Americans have to fight. Previously prosecutors were not allowed access to the Justice Department’s intelligence files for domestic criminal prosecutions. In 2003 a court ruling lowered that barrier, allowing prosecutors to review old surveillance. In 2003, Attorney General John Ashcroft asked government prosecutors to review thousands of old intelligence files including wiretaps to retrieve information prosecutors could use in “ordinary criminal prosecutions.”

It is problematic Law enforcement agencies will want to use NSA’s old illegal wiretap evidence and other surveillance to go back decades to arrest Americans and/or civilly forfeit citizens’ homes, inheritances and business using a mere "preponderance of evidence" under Title 18 of the United States Code. The Patriot Act specifically mentions the provisions passed in Rep. Henry Hyde’s bill HR 1658 "The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000." HR 1658 contained a "retroactive asset forfeiture provision" that was made retroactive for assets already subject to government forfeiture, "property already tainted by crime" providing that “the property” was part of or later connected to a criminal investigation that was in progress" when HR.1658 passed. In 2000 after HR1658 passed the old statute of limitations that gave government five years to seize property involved in crime died. Police now have five-years to seize property from “whenever they claim” they learned an asset was made subject to civil asset forfeiture. There are now over 200 U.S. laws that can subject property to civil asset forfeiture.

Imagine NSA sharing its illegal-domestic surveillance information with countless police agencies dependent on forfeiting Citizens’ property to pay their department operating costs. Police too easily can take an innocent person’s phone call or hastily written email out of context to allege a crime was committed. Imagine Police using the Patriot Act’s low standard of proof "a preponderance of evidence” to judge NSA illegal domestic wiretap information, perhaps to go back before 2000 to civilly seize a Citizen's home, business or other property. No conviction is required for the U.S. Government to civilly forfeit a Citizen’s home or business. Under the Patriot Act, witnesses can be kept secret while being paid part of the assets they cause to be forfeited.

Another Air Craft carrier has now been posted in the Persian Gulf, the need and greed for oil is ruining our planet and our lives, and the now known fact, that the knowledge and preclusions of 911 before it happened had been known and could have been prevented by people of this administration, is hard to bare. This administration's approval of torture and spying on the citizens of America without a warrant is a horrible truth. The occupation of Iraq is ongoing with no care for the health of our troops as it displaces over 4 million Iraqis and kills countless others, (over 1000,000.) On this now 5 year anniversary of "Mission Accomplished in Iraq" more Americans have died in Iraq than at the towers on 911, (then 129 soldiers killed now over 4000) and Bin Laden is still at large making Saddam Hussein look like an angel. Thousands of people are dying each day in our country because they can not afford health care, meanwhile the government and this administration thinks by sending money to the American people this will buy time so they can do more of the same.

When and if I get my government check, (which was borrowed from China to begin with and will probably go back to them because almost every thing here is made in China) I will be sending it strait away to fund organizations such as:
Congressman Robert Wexler,
http://wexlerwantshearings.com/
Congressman Dennis Kucinich
http://kucinich.house.gov/spotlightissues/documents.htm
After Downing Street
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org
to investigate the crimes of this administration for impeachment. Although this should have been done years ago, it is never to late to seek justice. Mind you I need the money just like anyone else in this me, me, me economy but I can think of no better way to spend this money wisely and help "nip it in the bud" so to speak. I feel I and we as a people have lost 8 years of our lives and I want retribution. I would also like your advice regarding the correct organization to get this done if you can think of a better alternative.

WE should seek investigations of these accounts on this administration, to name a few!

1. Violating the United Nations Charter by launching an illegal "War of Aggression" against Iraq without cause, using fraud to sell the war to Congress and the public, misusing government funds to begin bombing without Congressional authorization, and subjecting our military personnel to unnecessary harm, debilitating injuries, and deaths.

2. Violating U.S. and international law by authorizing the torture of thousands of captives, resulting in dozens of deaths, and keeping prisoners hidden from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

3. Violating the Constitution by arbitrarily detaining Americans, legal residents, and non-Americans, without due process, without charge, and without access to counsel.

4. Violating the Geneva Conventions by targeting civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances, and using illegal weapons, including white phosphorous, depleted uranium, and a new type of napalm.

5. Violating U.S. law and the Constitution through widespread wiretapping of the phone calls and emails of Americans without a warrant.

6. Violating the Constitution by using "signing statements" to defy hundreds of laws passed by Congress.

7. Violating U.S. and state law by obstructing honest elections in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.

8. Violating U.S. law by using paid propaganda and disinformation, selectively and misleadingly leaking classified information, and exposing the identity of a covert CIA operative working on sensitive WMD proliferation for political retribution.

9. Subverting the Constitution and abusing Presidential power by asserting a "Unitary Executive Theory" giving unlimited powers to the President, by obstructing efforts by Congress and the Courts to review and restrict Presidential actions, and by promoting and signing legislation negating the Bill of Rights and the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

10. Gross negligence in failing to assist New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina, in ignoring urgent warnings of an Al Qaeda attack prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and in increasing air pollution causing global warming.

We must do the right thing when we see wrong being done, lest our hands too have blood on them!!

Hope you feel the same.

Arlan Boll