Top Democrat: Intel czar's wiretap plans are 'deeply troubling'

A proposal by President Bush's new Director of National Intelligence to expand the intelligence community's authority to wiretap individuals in pursuit of the administration's 'Terrorist Surveillance Program' was called 'deeply troubling' by a Democratic Congressman who promised his subcommittee would investigate the matter.

"I have been extremely concerned about even the legality of the Administration's warrantless wiretapping program for a long time, so of course, a proposed expansion is deeply troubling," Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties told RAW STORY in an exlcusive statement.

"Just when you thought they couldn't do any more damage to the Constitution and Americans' civil liberties, they come out with this?" he added.

Nadler was referring to news reported yesterday by the Associated Press that Mike McConnell, the Director of National Intelligence appointed by President George W. Bush in January, would seek to expand the intelligence community's wiretapping authority in pursuit of the "Global War on Terrorism."

McConnell was reportedly previewing the draft legislation in advance of an April 17 hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act he is seeking would significantly expand the intelligence community's authority.

The "reforms" AP reported include:

*Allowing the NSA to monitor foreigners without seeking FISA court approval, including by tapping phones and e-mail accounts in the United States.

*Immunizing telecommunications companies from civil lawsuits related to cooperation with Bush's terrorist surveillance program, such as those pending now against Verizon and AT&T for alleged violations of privacy laws.

*Extending from 3 days to one week the amount of time the government can conduct emergency surveillance without a warrant.

RAW STORY's inquiries to the Senate Intelligence Committee were not answered. But Nadler promised oversight in the House.

"Obviously, this is something the Subcommittee is going to want to look in to," Rep. Nadler said.

In January, when McConnell was first nominated, RAW STORY's Larisa Alexandrovna warned that the nation's second National Intelligence Director would push to expand the intelligence community's authorities for wiretapping.

She explained that according to current and former intelligence officials, former DNI Michael Negroponte, who now serves as Deputy Secretary of State, had resisted efforts to expand domestic surveillance programs.

"The [office of the Vice President] could not get Negroponte to do anything with NSA and domestic surveillance," said one former senior intelligence official. "McConnell worked with Cheney during the Gulf War."

"He is not competent, but he is someone they can control," the official added.

None of the intelligence sources would describe what types of programs were at issue or confirm if these programs were those already known to the public. But they emphasized that compared to Negroponte, McConnell would be much more willing to accommodate the White House position on domestic surveillance.

Yesterday, McConnell rolled out his "100 Day Plan for Integration and Collaboration" in the intelligence community, but it did not make reference to any plans regarding surveillance authority.