Ashcroft, Snoops and Gag Orders: Elaine Cassel

[teryang]

http://www.counterpunch.org/cassel05292004.html

Ashcroft, Snoops and Gag Orders
The Secrets of Surveillance
By ELAINE CASSEL

<"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) yesterday released more information about the heavily censored legal challenge it is bringing against the government's use of a controversial provision of the USA PATRIOT Act that allows the FBI to obtain from businesses sensitive personal information about their clients. Among the documents unsealed today is a declaration by the ACLU's anonymous client in the case, the president and sole employee of an unnamed Internet Service Provider (ISP), referred to only as "John Doe."><snip>

<In his statement, Doe explains that his business provides access to the Internet, email accounts and space on the Web where people can post their own sites or store electronic files. He says some of his clients "are individuals and political associations that engage in controversial political speech," and that some "communicate anonymously or pseudonymously," which allows them "to discuss embarrassing, sensitive or controversial subjects without fear of retaliation or reprisal.">

<Doe and the ACLU are asking the court to deem unconstitutional the government's use of National Security Letters (NSLs), which allow FBI agents to demand, with no judicial oversight, personal information about clients of Internet Service Providers.>

[1monster]

1. What's next?

Letters of Attainder? (National Security Letters...)

[DBoon]

2. Could DU be part of this? Hmm...

some of his clients "are individuals and political associations that engage in controversial political speech," and that some "communicate anonymously or pseudonymously," which allows them "to discuss embarrassing, sensitive or controversial subjects without fear of retaliation or reprisal."


Tinfoil hat time.

[indigobusiness]

4. Time to blindfold Big Brother

I suspect he is wearing a tin hat.

[reprehensor]

3. Elaine Cassel is great. n/t

[indigobusiness]

5. John Doe for Veep

This is real patriotism. It feels like a dark, ugly fog is lifting.

America is great...and this is one example why.

[LibertyorDeath]

6. kick

[teryang]

7. Cheney- show me one example of abuse.

This article above pretty well lays out a major area of unconstitutional searches in violation of the 4th Amendment, conducted secretly, in violation of due process, the 5th Amendment, and chilling free speech, in violation of the 1st Amendment, and then gagging the petitioners, another First Amendment prior restraint, and blocking Public access to the courts.

The whole thing is pretty much a nightmare come true in a supposedly "free country." This activity is more characteristic of a dictatorship.