Gun lobby hinders FBI terror hunt

[emad]

From: The Guardian

The FBI now has the power to conduct extensive surveillance of suspected terrorists except if the suspect successfully buys a gun, because of a loophole backed by the gun lobby, the Washington Post has reported. The Post said the FBI is alerted if a terror suspect enters a gun shop and applies to buy a weapon under the National Instant Check System. But federal agents will not be told details of the purchase, or its location. Nor can they stop the sale on the grounds that the buyer is a suspected terrorist. If the sale is blocked (on other grounds), the FBI will have access to all available information. If it goes ahead agents will remain in the dark, because justice department rules reflect the National Rifle Association's (NRA) demands on privacy for gun-owners.

The attorney-general, John Ashcroft, is a member and enthusiastic supporter of the NRA and was instrumental in thwarting the FBI from cross-checking lists of terror suspects against a list of approved gun purchases after the September 11 attacks. The NRA denied that the privacy rules help terrorists. Its spokesman, Andrew Arulanandam, said yesterday that a person intent on breaking a series of laws is unlikely to want to go through detailed federal and police background checks.

According to the Post up to 21 people on the US terrorist watch list had tried to buy guns, but it was not clear how many had succeeded. An al-Qaida manual found in Afghanistan urged its followers to exploit the relaxed US gun laws and purchase guns legally.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,2763,1088057,00.html

[LibLabUK]

1. Hmm

That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

[emad]

2. Brilliant strategy....

wonder whose brainchild that is?

[MrBenchley]

3. That's what happens when you get an NRA life member

as attorney general...

[DoNotRefill]

9. Yup....all NRA life members are evil....

Remember JFK and Jimmy Carter? Both NRA life members...

[madddog]

7. okay...

I'll assume that since you have "uk" in your name, you must be English. I'll try to explain this so you can undestand it...

Although some of us think the USA Patriot Act is a step towards your Prevention of Terrorism Act, and Special Powers Act, we're not there YET. So that means people who are not specifically prohibited from buying guns (convicted felons, mentally incompetent, etc) can still buy them.

Since we DO have the USA Patriot Act, I'm sure there are quite a few things the AG could do to these people if they were SERIOUS terrorist suspects...they're probably just people with Arab names that havent' done anything wrong, like most of the poor unfortunate bastards who've been harrassed and deported under it.

Of course, they'd STILL have to be U.S. citizens to legally buy a guns anyway, which means they enjoy a number of rights under the constitution.

Now, personally, if I were you, I'd be MUCH more incensed about my government having spent the last 30 years conspiring against and murdering British citizens in Northern Ireland than whether "suspected" terrorists here can buy guns. But that's just me.

[LibLabUK]

11. Hmm

"Now, personally, if I were you, I'd be MUCH more incensed about my government having spent the last 30 years conspiring against and murdering British citizens in Northern Ireland than whether "suspected" terrorists here can buy guns. But that's just me."

Dunno if you've noticed, but when there's a terrorist attack in your country, the whole world pays the price... so yeah, I take an interest.

Seems like it would be sensible to prevent terrorist suspects from being able to just buy guns over the counter (especially as you nice guys in Florida keep sending them over here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/945705.stm).

[Don_G]

4. Too Many Loopholes

I purchased a new .45 ACP pistol at a flea market in my state with no background check other than the guy asking me if I lived in the state.

[madddog]

5. whadja get?

[Don_G]

6. Colt Combat Commander

:evilgrin:

[madddog]

8. cool...

a good 1911 style .45 is on my list of stuff to get; all I've got now is a Ruger P90. Can't even afford to shoot that right now though, too broke feeding the ARs lol.

I'm hoping to get the .45 die set for my Dillon from the GF for xmas...I've got about 1000 rounds of once fired brass saved up.

[DoNotRefill]

10. The operative word is "suspected" terrorist....

Or should we deny people their civil rights because we THINK they might be a bad person?

Oh, also BTW, if a terrorist suspect buys a gun, the FBI doesn't have to stop ALL surveilance on that person.

Does the FBI conduct surveillance on suspected terrorists? If they do, don't they KNOW where they went?

[Frangible]

12. Our officials have said peace protesters are terrorist supporters...

So how far do you want to take this hmm?

Do you think Dubyaco should deny someone of their rights-- be they first amendment, second, fourth, etc, just for being a "suspected" terrorist?

Careful about tossing labels around like that and denying people of their freedom-- never know when they'll be applied to you.