MIM outraged at war-time legislation aimed at cracking down on the people! At the exact moment that congressional offices are shut down because of an Anthrax scare, the united snakes government is taking advantage of the unprecedented in recent history patriotic fervor sweeping the country and railroading reactionary legislation through the congress. The House version of the bill passed on October 24, 2001 overwhelmingly (357 to 66).(1) The bill, called the USA Patriot Act (HR 3162), gives "enormous, unwarranted power to the executive branch unchecked by meaningful judicial review" according to the ACLU.(2) The ACLU further noted in a protest letter to the House that "most of the new powers could be used against American citizens in routine criminal investigations completely unrelated to terrorism."(2) This includes legal immigrants and communist groups like MIM whose organizing activities are deemed threatening to the government. Bush and Attorney General Ashcroft have been calling for this kind of legislation since immediately after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. They were pushing for even greater government powers and it was the efforts of a few congresspeople and senators who think civil liberties and privacy interests should not be wholesale eliminated.(3) What the bill that passed the House does: a) expands the FBI's wiretapping authority, including expanding roving wiretap authority so that the FBI can tap any phone a "terrorist suspect" might use. Currently wiretapping authority is limited to an identifiable phone, like home or work, and a new application must be made to the court to tap a new number. This makes cell phone eligible for wiretap. b) makes it a crime to "knowingly harbor a terrorist". c) makes it easier for police and intelligence agencies to share information on suspects. d) gives the united $nakes treasury department increased power to target banks and money in other countries suspected of being connected to "terrorist" activity. e) authorizes funds to triple the number of border patrol on the Canadian border and to triple the number of INS agents at each of the northern border patrol checkpoints. f) allows law enforcement to subpoena the records from Internet service providers about the email transmissions of "suspected terrorists". The house bill also includes a requirement that a judge monitor the FBI's use of the "Carnivore" system, an e-mail surveillance system. Carnivore (now known as DCS 1000) captures e-mails sent or received by a criminal suspect.(4) Investigators will be required to tell a judge all details about a Carnivore installation, including who installs and has access to it, its configuration and everything it collects. The report then must be given to the judge no later than 30 days after the wiretap order expires. The report would be sealed from the public but the judge can consider it in determining whether the police exceeded their authority in collecting the internet records. g) finally, the law allows what is known as "sneak and peek"; law enforcement can get a warrant and search a suspect's property before he or she is notified.(1) In order to reach a deal with the Senate to ensure passage of the entire bill, the House version got rid of earlier language that had more civil liberties and privacy protections. The Senate version has less protection--it was negotiated with the Injustice Department and the White House. The House version includes a sunset provision that means the wiretapping and electronic surveillance portion of the law expires in 4 years. Bush and the Injustice Department had wanted the laws to become permanent. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation on October 25 or 26, and then send it to Bush who promises to sign it. MIM stands with any freedom- loving organizations opposing this repressive legislation that consolidates broad reaches of power and will legalize the crackdown on activists voicing opposition to Amerika's war- mongering policies. No doubt huge numbers of Arab-Amerikans, Arabs, and other immigrants will be swept up in the wave of crackdown fever. This new legislation harkens back to the heyday of the FBI's war on Black Amerika. In the 1960s and 1970s the wiretapping and searching had to be done covertly because it was illegal. Now the government has overwhelming support for massive curtailment of civil rights and civil liberties. MIM urges all its readers and activists to be extra vigilant in recognizing their vulnerability to surveillance. If you are outraged at the continued bombing of Afghanistan and scared by the patriotic war-mongering and concerned about the continuing erosion of First Amendment protection for revolutionary activism: work with MIM! Notes: 1. The Boston Globe, 25 Oct. 01, p. A1. 2. See www.aclu.org, Press Release 10-24-01 "ACLU Deeply Disappointed with Passage of Anti-Terrorism Bill; Decries Deeply Flawed Legislative Process." 3. Boston.com Wire Services, 10/24/01, "House passes anti-terror compromise that gives police new search powers." 4. See www.boston.com.