Terrorists' Bank Accounts

For once, I could agree with Bush, and Representative Peter T. King (Republican of New York) that the reporting by The New York Times of the Administration monitoring the bank accounts of suspected terrorists is disgusting.

However, I agree more with Senator Arlen Specter, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who said that “…he wanted to "learn more" about the program, but indicated that he did not see a need for hearings. Mr. Specter, a Republican of Pennsylvania, said he found the financial-data program less troubling than the N.S.A.'s secret program for warrantless wiretaps of calls between people in America and suspected terrorists overseas.”

The NYT claims that this monitoring is being done without appropriate oversight. This Administration has been known to do that, like wire-tapping and analyzing phone records of calls made within the US, by common US residents, without the appropriate oversight and protocol.

This is a slippery slope. Even though the intentions of this administration may be noble, once a precedent is set, it is a wild guess how any future President may use it, and if he/she will have the right intention. Who could be suspested as a terrorist? Anyone? Or just Muslims? Or anyone some group of neo-conservatives deem to be terroristic? I would be more comfortable if accounts of real terrorists, not anyone suspected, are monitered. With proper oversight, of course.

We are living in a ‘newer’ world order. Terrorism is a real threat and has to be overcome. However, the Administration has to do the things in a proper way. What’s wrong if they would have asked a court to sanction this monitoring? No one would have said no.

While it bothers me that a questionably essential program has been brought to light, it bothers me more that this Administration thinks that it is above the law. If this is true that the Administration engaged in a reckless hunt of anyone it MAY suspect, the NYT has done us a big service. How else could we have known about this Administrations's misadventures?

For the full article, go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/26/washington/26cnd-bank.html?_r=1&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fK%2fKornblut%2c%20Anne%20E%2e&oref=slogin