🚀 go-pugleaf

On Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:14:38 GMT, leroyblue@pillinor.net wrote:

>On Fri, 8 Jun 2007 17:06:30 -0400, Slim <slim@pickins.com> wrote:
>
>>"The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment Monday, except to 
>>note that such searches are now legal under the Patriot Act that 
>>President Bush signed last October."
>>
>>
>>Published on Monday, June 24, 2002 by the Associated Press
>>FBI Begins Visiting Libraries
>>by Christopher Newton
>>�
>>WASHINGTON �� The FBI is visiting libraries nationwide and checking the 
>>reading records of people it suspects of having ties to terrorists or 
>>plotting an attack, library officials say.
>>The FBI effort, authorized by the antiterrorism law enacted after the 
>>Sept. 11 attacks, is the first broad government check of library 
>>records since the 1970s when prosecutors reined in the practice for 
>>fear of abuses.
>>The Justice Department and FBI declined to comment Monday, except to 
>>note that such searches are now legal under the Patriot Act that 
>>President Bush signed last October.
>>Libraries across the nation were reluctant to discuss their dealings 
>>with the FBI. The same law that makes the searches legal also makes it 
>>a criminal offense for librarians to reveal the details or extent.
>>"Patron information is sacrosanct here. It's nobody's business what you 
>>read," said Kari Hanson, director of the Bridgeview Public Library in 
>>suburban Chicago.
>>Hanson said an FBI agent came seeking information about a person, but 
>>her library had no record of the person. Federal prosecutors allege 
>>Global Relief Foundation, an Islamic charity based in the Chicago 
>>suburb, has ties to Osama bin Laden's terror network
>>The University of Illinois conducted a survey of 1,020 public libraries 
>>in January and February and found that 85 libraries had been asked by 
>>federal or local law enforcement officers for information about patrons 
>>related to Sept. 11, said Ed Lakner, assistant director of research at 
>>the school's Library Research Center.
>>The libraries that reported FBI contacts were nearly all in large urban areas.
>>In Florida, Broward County library director Sam Morrison said the FBI 
>>had recently contacted his office. He declined to elaborate on the 
>>request or how many branch libraries were involved.
>>"We've heard from them and that's all I can tell you," Morrison said. 
>>He said the FBI specifically instructed him not to reveal any 
>>information about the request.
>>The library system has been contacted before. A week after the Sept. 11 
>>attacks, the FBI subpoenaed Morrison to provide information on the 
>>possible use of computer terminals by some of the suspected hijackers 
>>in the Hollywood, Fla., area.
>>In October, investigators revisited the county's main library in Fort 
>>Lauderdale and also checked a regional library in Coral Springs.
>>At least 15 of the 19 hijackers had Florida connections.
>>The process by which the FBI gains access to library records is quick 
>>and mostly secret under the Patriot Act.
>>First, the FBI must obtain a search warrant from a court that meets in 
>>secret to hear the agency's case. The FBI must show it has reason to 
>>suspect that a person is involved with a terrorist or a terrorist plot 
>>� far less difficult than meeting the tougher legal standards of 
>>probable cause, required for traditional search warrants or reasonable 
>>doubt, required for convictions.
>>With the warrant, FBI investigators can visit a library and gain 
>>immediate access to the records.
>>Judith Krug, the American Library Association's director for 
>>intellectual freedom, said the FBI was treading on the rights it is 
>>supposed to be upholding.
>>"It's unfortunate because these records and this information can be had 
>>with so little reason or explanation," Krug said. "It's super secret 
>>and anyone who wants to talk about what the FBI did at their library 
>>faces prosecution. That has nothing to do with patriotism."
>>Krug tells worried librarians who call that they should keep only the 
>>records they need and should discard records that would reveal which 
>>patron checked out a book and for how long.
>>She is frustrated by the hate mail she says she receives when she 
>>speaks out against the Patriot Act.
>>"People are scared and they think that by giving up their rights, 
>>especially their right to privacy, they will be safe," Krug said. "But 
>>it wasn't the right to privacy that let terrorists into our nation. It 
>>had nothing to do with libraries or library records."
>>Some libraries said they will still resist government efforts to obtain 
>>records.
>>Pat McCandless, assistant director for public services for Ohio State 
>>University's libraries, said, "State law and professional ethics say we 
>>do not convey patron information and that is still our stance.
>>"To the best of our ability, we would try to support patron 
>>confidentiality," she said.
>
>
>
>Of course we know now that the investigation was the early stages of
>that which uncovered the plot to sabotage the fuel farm at JFK. We can
>all be thankful for the diligent work of our Homeland Security and FBI
>agencies.

Too bad Bush let 9-11 happen because of either stupidity or conspiracy
doing business with the Bin Laden family.