As the nation's predominant law enforcement agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has robust powers to peer into the lives of American citizens. But the FBI claims even broader authorities when acting in the nebulous realm of "national security," where its actions are largely hidden from public view and the procedural checks and balances that apply in criminal investigations are all but non-existent. The FBI has a long history of abusing its national security surveillance powers. The potential for abuse is once again great, particularly given that the lines between criminal investigations and foreign intelligence operations have been blurred or erased through the "war on terror." As a result, intrusive surveillance tools originally developed to target Soviet spies are increasingly being used against Americans. More >>