Jul 21st, 2009
Posted by Ateqah Khaki, National Security Project at 5:10pm	Surveillance

ACLU in Court Tomorrow to Challenge Unconstitutional Spying Law

Tomorrow, we'll be in court presenting oral arguments in our challenge to the unconstitutional FISA Amendments Act (FAA) — the law passed by Congress last year that gave the government virtually unchecked power to intercept Americans' international e-mails and telephone calls. As you may recall, we filed a lawsuit to stop the government from spying under the FAA less than an hour after the Act was signed into law by President Bush on July 10, 2008.

The case — Amnesty v. McConnell — was filed on behalf of a broad coalition of attorneys and human rights, labor, legal and media organizations. These groupsrely on confidential communications to do their work, and are therefore greatly compromised by the FAA.

In this short ACLU video, National Security Project Director Jameel Jaffer (who will be arguing the case tomorrow) discusses the FAA and its implications with two of our plaintiffs — The Nation's Chris Hedges and Human Rights Watch's Dinah PoKempner.

Please note that by playing this clip You Tube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Please see You Tube's privacy statement on their website and Google's privacy statement on theirs to learn more. To view the ACLU's privacy statement, click here.

To learn more about our plaintiffs and the issue at stake, visit www.aclu.org/faa. And be sure to check back for updates after tomorrow's hearing.

Permalink |	Surveillance

1. Samdra Sandoski Says:
   Jul 21st, 2009 at 4:58pm

   There are problems in Canada also. People are being tortured. The Branden Institute is a cia front and harasses people with shrinks using techniques like project MonarK. loveme/lovemenot common in many areas. cruelty of the gpsing and sound system torture is complemented with use of security system torture systems in apts or anywhere. Legislation needs to be created.

2. Al Fisher Says:
   Jul 21st, 2009 at 8:39pm

   What I heard was that it's ultimately important that you (ACLU) and "especially journalists" need exemption from this. It seemed only an afterthought that all people of the United States of America should not be subjected to this kind personal invasion of privacy. We are not yet a socialist, communist country, although I fear we're not far from it.

3. anon Says:
   Jul 24th, 2009 at 9:58am

   Victims of "group stalking" are not being taken seriously by the ACLU and other groups, to the great peril of many. These stalking operations/programs are a fact across this still great country of ours and, yet, because they are so unbelievable (and many of the victims do not appear to be credible), these programs continue unabated. Those involved act with impunity.

   Someone needs to do something to help stop these stalking groups, or we are all in great danger, I fear.

4. me Says:
   Jul 24th, 2009 at 3:49pm

   SCREW YOU ALL

5. Leo Boyea Says:
   Jul 24th, 2009 at 4:12pm

   I feel that the ACLU goes too far and you feel like the US has used torture each and every one of you should have a son or daughter and yourselfs watch the shotting of our armed forces shot and then think of what I DON'T THINK of as torture could save American lives. YES Saving our lives is more important to ME. Sometimes you people should listen to the majority od Americans.

6. roald Says:
   Jul 27th, 2009 at 10:35pm

   Mr. Boyea, you are the minority, not the majority of Americans.

   If you do some research, you will find that the experts cannot equate torture with saving lives. The outrage of countrymen of our victims puts our servicemen at greater risk.

   On a higher level, many of the people we tortured were innocent. On an even higher level, torture is morally wrong and always will be wrong. I'll go out on a limb and assume you are a Christian. WWJD?

7. Wayne Dickson Says:
   Jul 30th, 2009 at 6:34pm

   Non-partisan is good. Ensures people have access to relatively objective info. Partisan is good. Ensures people are allowed to promote the ideologies they believe in. But that leaves a significant gap in between.

   This is the gap where one party is particularly egregious at violating the constitution – or another party – or several parties in concert if not in active collusion.

   If one cannot turn to the ACLU for independence in telling it as it is, naming names impartially, where can one turn?

8. Jimm Says:
   Jul 30th, 2009 at 10:42pm

   I, for one, am very supportive of the ACLU's efforts to curtail the excesses of the current FISA regime.

   We arrive at the evil of tyranny one step at a time. We must fight tyranny every step of the way.

9. Robert Shepherd Says:
   Jul 31st, 2009 at 9:16am

   Al Fisher Starts by making an inane argument that by pointing out a few prime examples, the larger group is somehow ignored. He then segues to his next piercing insight as to whats behind all this...Communism/Socialism. Perhaps learning what the words mean would be helpful to Mr. Fisher in trying to grasp the fact that the problem at issue here came into being during Bush/Chaney and have everything to do with Dictatorship/despotism and nothing to do with Mr.Fishers totally ignorant creation of Socialism as the problem here.

10. Robert Shepherd Says:
    Jul 31st, 2009 at 11:06am

    Leo Boyea states that "some things" read waterboarding, are not in his opinion torture as it has been "up till recently" defined by our government. We(our government) have in fact prosecuted others who perpetrated this act. He, it seems along with many other would be Patriots, fail to understand what it is that our soldiers in theory and hopefully in fact, die to protect. They do not die in the name of torture. But it seems that no matter how many times one sites The Constitution/our laws/or guiding principals, some will ignore these things out of fear, grief, ignorance, hatred or some idea of an eye for an eye.

    As long as people wrap themselves in the flag without any knowledge of what that flag represents, and rail against any and all who invoke facts to counter delusion,even when those fact support a righteous argument, I will fear for the nation that I love.

    One can not and should not expect every soldier who fights for this country to be a Thomas Jefferson but those who send them into war should honor our founding fathers and understand and honor our Constitution and laws.

    Our people, who war for us with honor must in turn be honored. But we can not cede the argument of why we fight and how we make war to some who have no concept of who we are as a nation yet invoke the dead to make their case. No matter how heroic I feel it is to fight in our armed services, no matter how much I wish they did not have to die and honor them that do, we as a nation must not become the monster with which we do battle despite all hysterical arguments to the contrary. We owe it to all the troops who ever fought so that we could be free and live honorably as free people.

11. Amanda Wonders Says:
    Aug 1st, 2009 at 11:52pm

    Mr. Shepherd, you may be interested in seeing the documentary, "Why We Fight," directed by Eugene Jarecki. It is a superb exposition of how democracy has been subsumed under corporatocracy. Our children must not continue to die for democracy, but rather, live to make it better so that it may work for all the people instead of just the few. Oops, I forgot, we no longer have a democracy. By the way, we, you and me, bailed out capitalism, not democracy.

12. William Toodle Says:
    Aug 9th, 2009 at 6:41pm

    for all that goes on in America. Why is the justice system apart of so much wrong doing. I sent my story to the FBI, I blogged on your sight, also i recently faxed my concerns to the united states Justice Deparment to Mark Gross explaining to him the lawless acts of Phoenix justice system, and the illegal bugging of my home and computer. How personal information of my was released to police by Estrella Mountain College were i attend school, how i was told by staff at Estralla College to enroll in another College after completing the year with a 2.5 GPA. I was told this for racial reasons. If we as people keep letting official who are suppose to protect Americans within the law, use the law as somthing evil then we have only ourselves to blame.If any story is worth hearing this my story is the one. but to all the agencies who droped the ball on this one keep your eyes and ears open. I was recently asked why are you so determine. this is as simple as i can put it. I don't bother people. I mind my on business. so why let people get away with old slave way of treatment of my self. one other thing i want you to know there screening my calls into my home phone illegally also the phoenix police are discouraging jobs from hireing me. These people will do anything to keep from facing there on justice. they may even kill i sent letter to the FBI explaining this. ponder this if they will enter your home bugg it illegally bugg your phone and computer. you have to ask yourself what will they do next. it seems there already out of control...... Where is American Justice.

13. Anthony R. Palmieri Says:
    Aug 19th, 2009 at 6:15pm

    I live in the Denver metro area. I received a call today from a Federal agent named Hodges who works for the post office. He is investigating me for what turns out to be renting a UPS mailbox. I have had the mailbox for at least ten years with no problem. But, since the Patriot Act, I have had to submit two applications to keep the box. Now they are saying threatening mail have been sent to a Federal office from it. What am I to do? Where ever happened to American freedom? My email is anthonyp332001@yahoo.com... with comments.

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