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A little at a time... This Won't Hurt a BitBy Rick Horowitz
WASHINGTON, June 1 -- Bush administration officials struggled today to defend themselves in the wake of new reports of government surveillance of ordinary Americans, while congressional leaders of both parties called for increased scrutiny of White House access to individuals' personal data. An article in today's edition of USA Today revealed that all domestic vehicles sold in this country in the past four years have been secretly equipped with electronic devices that enable their locations to be precisely and constantly monitored by the National Security Agency. The newspaper reported that the Big Three auto makers -- General Motors, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler -- were approached by government officials shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and agreed to install the GPS devices on all their vehicles. In a hastily scheduled appearance at the White House, President Bush sought to reassure Americans about the administration's surveillance efforts, while neither confirming nor denying the details of the USA Today story. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," the president declared. "Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates." Senior administration officials, meanwhile, tried to downplay the significance of these latest revelations of domestic surveillance. "We're just looking for patterns," said one official who was granted anonymity to discuss the GPS program. "If you're going places where known terrorists tend to congregate, we want to know about it. If you're just doing your normal driving, you've got nothing to worry about." In other developments... * * * WASHINGTON, June 9 -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales refused today to address new reports that the Bush administration has directed the National Security Agency to intercept and inspect all letters and packages mailed within the United States. The classified program, code-named Project Franklin, was first disclosed in today's Washington Post, based on accounts provided by individuals with extensive knowledge of its operational details. Appearing on Capitol Hill at a previously scheduled hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Gonzales turned back questions from Republicans and Democrats alike, saying that he was not comfortable "saying yes or no as to what the president has or has not authorized." Mr. Gonzales urged committee members "not to get caught up in scare stories appearing in the press." Any surveillance activities conducted by the Bush administration, he insisted, were "completely lawful, and narrowly targeted on the terrorists." Meanwhile... * * * WASHINGTON, June 22 -- Reports of a secret government program to install high-definition cameras in some 30,000 "neighborhoods of interest" were met today with strong reactions from congressional leaders and civil liberties groups. For their part, administration officials from President Bush on down claimed that the story, in today's New York Times, was blown out of proportion and risked undercutting vital anti-terrorism activities. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," said the president, speaking to reporters in the White House Rose Garden. "Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates." On Capitol Hill... * * * WASHINGTON, July 4 -- President Bush called today on all Americans to put their differences aside and do "whatever it takes" to protect the nation from future terrorist attacks. In his annual holiday message, the president referred only generally to today's story in the Los Angeles Times revealing that the National Security Agency has installed highly sensitive miniature microphones inside more than 25,000,000 American homes, with more to come over the next six months. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans," Mr. Bush declared. "Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates." Asking his fellow citizens to "have faith" in the government's efforts to keep them safe, Mr. Bush also encouraged them to spend the day "celebrating the freedoms that make this country great." Posted 5/12/06. Get
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Rick Horowitz
