Media create crisis
JUST when President George W. Bush was expecting to bask in the success of the Iraqi elections, revelations that he secretly authorised telephone taps on Americans without court warrants has plunged his administration into another crisis.
I just can’t come to grips with the lack of security in the media in relation to the War on Terror. They seem to have an agenda to put all the nations secrets on the front page to impede the nation’s ability to fight the war. I’m surprised they don’t publish the Order of Battle and deployment schedules for the US military involved in Iraq.
The article originated in the New York Times and has grabbed the Lefts interest as another stick to beat Bush with
Tim Dunlop makes a mountain out of it;
This one is a shibboleth: if you won’t condemn the president on this and hold him to account, you have lost any perspective and are nothing more than the worst sort of apologist. What’s more, you are no longer fighting terrorism but enabling it, doing exactly what they want, which is to undermine the legitimacy of one the most robust bulwarks against tyranny ever conceived, the Constitution of the United States.Different stroke for different folks I suppose but applying to a court for a wire tap takes the surveillance out of the Top Secret box and puts it too close to the public arena. I simply wouldn’t trust any of the US infrastructure at the moment with every step being analyzed as to it’s potential to do Bush harm by activists all too ready to photocopy any memo or court order and send it to the media. How did this get leaked for instance and under what motive? I for one do not care a fig for the rights of those who would do our society severe damage. They have abrogated all rights by their acts and clandestine covert ops are an acceptable answer. The Terrorists can do what they like and seldom get called to order by the media but Bush is expected to telegraph all of his intentions to the enemy via the media or, goddammit, they will seek out and tell the enemy themselves. The media, afer all, are defending the high moral ground and it is they who will decide what is right and what is wrong; not the people elected to defend society. Who’s side are they on? UPDATE: Another viewpoint from Defense Tech
That’s all assuming, of course, that the wiretaps in this case are the same as in any other. But maybe they’re not. Maybe there’s something different about this surveillance. It could be in its scope, as Laura suggests. But I’m guessing — and this is just a guess — that the real difference is in the technology of the wiretaps themselves.Another reason for it not to be in the public arena.
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Kev,
I suppose if you follow your theory Kev then old “chicken wings” Bush can order and do what he likes even if it is contrary to the US Constitution and the law of the country. I don’t think a democracy based on the rule of law applies at all if you go down that track. I remember poor old tricky Dicky Nixon found to his detriment and undoing that if you act beyond the law accountability follows. This could be the undoing of Bush. I can only hope. The man is a moral leper.
The man says that God guides him. I hope I don’t hear “voices” from the same God.The direction he is leading the US is one where its moral authority is in terminal downslide.
I see that there is bi partisan outrage at the revelations and rightly so. The Senate inquiry in the new year will be spell binding.
Sounds like dictatorship to me. I suppose he might want to follow the example of Hitler etc perhaps even Saddam.
The ends justifying the means and and then you expect others to follow you eg other countries when you cannot even abide by the law of your own country. Bush thinks he is beyond the law and that God guides him. I suppose he thinks that he has the dviine right to rule.
It is a sad day for US democracy.
Greetings Kev,
For the full text of President Bush’s address go to: http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=18594&only=yes
Still, the NYT did a better job of reporting what the President said than did today’s Courier Mail. The President’s address contained 549 words but the Courier reprinted just 92 of them. However, to print that number the Courier used another 475.
I suspect it would have been simpler, more newsworthy and more accurate to print all the President had said, and then provide the comments of the pro and anti camps.
That might have saved us from Tim Dunlop’s comment and Leahy’s cartoon.
Cheers.
What are they on about? From what I can gather, the intercepts are entirely legitimate if they are between a foreign national and a US citizen. I suppose the US is supposed to fight this war with one hand or both hands tied behing its back. This is a complete non-story if the nature of those intercepts are as stated.
Peter,
The first thing you must come to grips with is every, repeat every President has been involved in this type of intelligence gathering so it’s not a “Bush is a dictator” call at all.
Secondly, We do it as well and so do the Poms. It’s a part of ongoing intelligence gathering during war and peace and if you knew how many times Australian lives have been saved by such intelligence you might have a different approach.
Thirdly, The guy who leaked the info should be identified, charged and sent to prison. There is no excuse for leaking info to the enemy. The NYT needs to remind itself just whose side they are on in the War on Terror. Even if they hate Bush they can’t endanger their own country.
Fourthly, war is not run by lawyers and for very good reasons. If they had any control in WW2 we would still be argueing over where to attack for D Day.
Dear Kev,
You might want to eat your words if indictments issue from the illegal tapping and intercepting of citizens e mail etc. I am sure the Senate inquiry in the new year may yield up even more sinister activity given the history of these participants. Incidentally, I saw Cheney squirming when questioned about it. It was probably his idea. He seems to have no regard for the law or the US Consuitution.
The lawyers will well and truly be involved if there are charges. Chicken wings might find his wings well and truly clipped.
I see Condi Rice is a great supporter. She was on the White House NSA Committee that probably recommended this activity. She might find herself in the dock.
It is also ironic that Bush is unhappy that the information was leaked. What did he say about the outing of the CIA Agent; not much at all. What a hypocrite he is.
His speeches and performances lately remind me of that “lame duck” cliche. They were pathetic appeals for lost support and belated recognition of past failures and denials of the undeniable.
Peter, if indictments ever get issued (which doesn’t seem likely, given that both sides of congress had been informed and saw no problem) then I might pay attention to it.
Seems to me it will to about as much damage to Bush as the last seventy-three issues his opponents have called for him to be indicted over.
Kev, just wait until the environmental lawyers get involved. I’m surprised we haven’t heard about some endangered species whose habitat is being destroyed by
Halliburton’sBush’s War for Oiilll!I saw Cheney squirming when questioned about it I can only presume you don’t believe what I say. This type of intelligence gathering goes on all the time, has been going on for a long time and will go on in the future. It has nothing to do with Bush or Cheney – they are just the current incumbents. For you to make any other comments on this post you must argue that what I say is not true – you can’t just ignore it. You are not debating Peter, you just provide a litany of anti-US observations, none of which are based on fact and most of which are very subjective.
“Cheney squirming” for god’s sake.
You might like to read Slats on the subject as well.
Kev,
If Congress have approved the law when then will there be an inquiry in the New year.’
The chairman of the National Security Committee in the Senate namely Arlan Specter (republican) beleives that there is a breach of the US law and the Consitution and is calling for the inquiry.
Just becasue the Emperor says it is right to do is not the test.
Ultimately the Supreme Court will decide.
Just because Senator Arlen Specter believes there is a breach of law doesn’t make it so either. It wouldn’t be the first time he has been wrong and anyway, by the new year it will be old news and you guys will have something else to beat Bush over the head with.
kev,
This one is not going to go away.
This administration has the odour of decay and is is in free fall.
I saw old “chicken wings” conceding that there were no WMD’s, and ” terible mistakes”, terrible losses and bad decisions etc.
Is he now after the sympathy vote? He has nothing esle to sell.
Feel sorry for him but not for long.
peter
Kepp your shirt on. Clinton and Carter authorised similar wiretaps.
http://www.worldfreeinternet.net/news/nws4.htm
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/spying/15440pub19980301.html#two