US Senate to strangle 'big brother'

[LauraK]

US senators debating defence spending for next year have proposed eliminating all funding for the Pentagon's vast computerised terrorism surveillance program that has raised privacy concerns.

In the past, the US Congress has limited the Defence Department's ability to implement the system - now known as Terrorism Information Awareness - while allowing research to proceed, but the new provision goes further, banning funding outright.

"No funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defence . . . or to any other department, agency or element of the federal government, may be obligated or expended on research and development on the Terrorism Information Awareness program," the provision says.

The program is being developed and tested under the supervision of controversial retired Admiral John Poindexter. Its administration has sent the US Congress an analysis of the proposed defence bill that said the provision would "deny an important potential tool in the war on terrorism".
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http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6761864%255E15322,00.html

[lcordero]

1. I'm sorry but this is definitely not enough

This administration has done everything in it's power to stymie all oversight. This administration will redirect funds from soldiers' healthcare or something similar to TIA.

[trotsky]

2. Naturally, we find this in the foreign media.

n/t

[BiggJawn]

3. Ummmm, doesn't the Pentagon have "Black Funds"?

Money that they get every year, don't have to account for it, don't have to say if it's been spent,don't need to tell what it's been spent on, just "Please sirs, we'd better get some MORE, National Security, y'know..."
Total Infomation Awareness ("Terrorist", my ASS)will get it's money.

I'd like to see the oversight committe go in and pull the mainframe's processor, like Julie Christie did to "Proteus" in "The Demon Seed"...
Then let me loose in there with a stock prod...