‘The President claims that these powers are within his role as Commander in Chief. Make no mistake, the powers granted to the Commander in Chief are specifically those as head of the Armed Forces. These warrantless searches are conducted not against a foreign power, but against unsuspecting and unknowing American citizens. They are conducted against individuals living on American soil, not in Iraq or Afghanistan. There is nothing within the powers granted in the Commander in Chief clause that grants the President the ability to conduct clandestine surveillance of American civilians. We must not allow such groundless, foolish claims to stand. 

The President claims a boundless authority through the resolution that authorized the war on those who perpetrated the September 11th attacks. But that resolution does not give the President unchecked power to spy on our own people. That resolution does not give the Administration the power to create covert prisons for secret prisoners. That resolution does not authorize the torture of prisoners to extract information from them. That resolution does not authorize running black-hole secret prisons in foreign countries to get around U.S. law. That resolution does not give the President the powers reserved only for kings and potentates. 

I continue to be shocked and astounded by the breadth with which the Administration undermines the constitutional protections afforded to the people, and the arrogance with which it rebukes the powers held by the Legislative and Judicial Branches. The President has cast off federal law, enacted by Congress, often bearing his own signature, as mere formality. He has rebuffed the rule of law, and he has trivialized and trampled upon the prohibitions against unreasonable search and seizure guaranteed to Americans by the United States Constitution. 

We are supposed to accept these dirty little secrets. We are told that it is irresponsible to draw attention to President Bush's gross abuse of power and Constitutional violations. But what is truly irresponsible is to neglect to uphold the rule of law. We listened to the President speak last night on the potential for democracy in Iraq. He claims to want to instill in the Iraqi people a tangible freedom and a working democracy, at the same time he violates our own U.S. laws and checks and balances? President Bush called the recent Iraqi election "a landmark day in the history of liberty." I dare say in this country we may have reached our own sort of landmark. Never have the promises and protections of Liberty seemed so illusory. Never have the freedoms we cherish seemed so imperilled.’ 

No President Is Above the Law

The buzz on the wire is that the so-called 'wiretaps' infringements refer to something far more complex than listening in to private conversations.

From Cursor.org:
Kevin Drum reasons that "there's something involved here that goes far beyond ordinary wiretaps, regardless of the technology used. Perhaps some kind of massive data mining, which makes it impossible to get individual warrants? Stay tuned." Plus: 'The Echelon Myth'

From Slashdot:
... Ars Technica writes about what's going on behind the curtains with the National Security Agency's technology: 'When the truth comes out (if it ever does), this NSA wiretapping story will almost certainly be a story not just about the Constitutional concept of the separation of powers, but about high technology.'"

The political fallout is proceeding - Spy Court Judge Quits In Protest - and For years, Bush said court orders required for spying:
... "A couple of things that are very important for you to understand about the Patriot Act. First of all, any action that takes place by law enforcement requires a court order," he said July 14, 2004 in Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin. "In other words, the government can't move on wiretaps or roving wiretaps without getting a court order," he said. "What the Patriot Act said is let's give our law enforcement the tools necessary, without abridging the Constitution of the United States, the tools necessary to defend America." The president has also repeatedly said that the need to seek such warrants means "the judicial branch has a strong oversight role." ...

This seems to be shaping up as a job that should never have been given to the Shrublet to explain away. He probably doesn't even do his own emails, and knows even less about massive database technology.

It could be Dire Straits for the Boy Prez, so I recommend 'Telegraph Road', 'Private Investigations' and 'Going Home'.

Whoopsmas 

By Mark Fiore

Australia's position has provided SOMETHING for its international partners and for its troops overseas, writes Robert Hill in the SMH. UNSPINNING BY GUS LEONISKY
__________

AUSTRALIA has made a significant (RATHER SMALLISH) contribution to DEMOLISHING Iraq and will continue to support this new BUSHocracy until it can assume responsibility for its own national security (LET ME LAUGH...). The Howard Government has repeatedly said it is unwise to set an arbitrary timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Reduction and withdrawal of troops must be based on the growing capacity of the Iraqi government and its security forces (IN 25 YEARS REAL TIME).

The transitional government (US PUPPETS) in Iraq has continually asked that we remain there until it is able to provide the necessary level of security (IN 25 YEARS TIME). Now is not the time to walk away from the Iraqi people when they need our help (AFTER WE KILLED 100,000 OF THEIR CITIZENS), and to do so would play into the hands of terrorists (THAT WE INVITED HERE BY OUR LITTLE WAR) and further threaten global security (WE DID THAT TOO BY WAGING LITTLE WARS BUT IT DOES NOT COUNT).

Iraqis have shown enormous determination in voting (FOR IRAN) to have a free and democratic (FULL-ON RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALISM) country despite the efforts of insurgents (NON RELIGIOUS) and terrorists (MORE FUNDAMENTALIST THAN DEMOCRATIC FUNDAMENTALISM) to derail the process through the mass killing of innocent people (REVENGE AD INFINITUM). The Howard Government will stand by them as they build their new nation (AS LONG AS THE RESULT FOLLOWS THE ENLIGHTENED BUSH DOCTRINE OF GRAND CORRUPTION, SPYING ON ITS CITIZENS, SEDITION, CRONYISM, TOTALITARIAN UNILATERALISM, GREEDY SCROOGING OF THE POOR AND GRAND GENEROSITY TO THE RICH.)

We have INTENTIONS of keeping Australian troops in Iraq AS LONG AS THE US KEEP THEIR OWN TROOPS THERE and we review progress (OF THE LEVEL OF THE PETROL RESERVES) continually. As soon as tasks have been completed the Government has brought troops home, and will continue to do so. BUT WE’LL SEND SOME MORE ANYWAY ON A ROTATION BASIS...

On December 30, a MASSIVE 20-strong specialist medical contingent returned after completing its mission at a coalition medical facility north of Baghdad. IN THE TIME THEY WERE THERE, MORE THAN 500 US SOLDIERS WERE KILLED AND 1500 WERE INJURED... At the same time the air-traffic control contingent returned after completing its job at Balad (IT’S A PICNIC AIRPORT) air base. In August one of Australia's military training teams, which trained the new Iraqi army in logistics operations, completed its mission and came home (30 PER CENT OF THOSE TRAINED BECAME INSURGENTS).

Significant progress is being made on security, with Iraq building its own security forces (THEY ONLY LOSE 20 SOLDIERS A DAY AND THE US LOSE 3 PER DAY, IN PEACE-TIME, WHILE IN THE WHOLE 3 WEEKS OF FULL-ON WAR CAMPAIGN THE US LOST ONLY 50). The (IRAQI) army has more than 90,000 personnel and the full security forces OF WHICH 60,000 ARE INSURGENTS, including the police, have about 200,000 members. Not only are the numbers steadily increasing, but also the capability of the force is improving, and this is due in part to the support of countries such as Australia, which has been providing training IN SHOOT-TO-KILL TACTICS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE RUNNING AWAY.

Australia continues to assist Iraqis through a task group located in the province of Al Muthanna. The task group is training a second battalion of Iraqi security forces to take over OPPRESSION, CORRUPTION AND WAR in the region. Our troops provide security for Japanese humanitarian forces while they go about the task of reconstruction (UNTIL IT IS DEMOLISHED AGAIN) after so many years of oppression, corruption and war. These tasks are current and important (THE US FINISHED THE DEMOLITION JOB SADDAM HAD STARTED).

The task group is also carrying out its own community reconstruction (DEMOLISHED AS BEFORE) projects to improve the quality of life of people in the province.

These projects have included the building of medical facilities and community centres, installing powerlines and water irrigation pumps, waste water treatment and veterinary services (ALL OF WHICH WERE THERE BEFORE OUR LITTLE WAR DEMOLISHED THEM). The Australian Defence Force will continue to work with the community to identify more projects and will use local CHEAP labour to directly benefit the AMERICAN economy. This also is important work.

Political progress is being made in Iraq and we look forward to the new government pushing ahead with its own reform program and policies that will determine the future of the new Iraq (AS LONG AS IT IS UNITED STATES SANCTIONED, NOT THAT FUNDAMENTALIST BIZZO THEY ARE PUTTING UP).

The time will come (IN 25 YEARS TIME) when the Iraqi government will be able to provide for its own security through its own forces (AND KICK OUR ARSE OUT OF THERE). That will be the time for multinational forces to be gradually withdrawn (PETROL WILL HAVE RUN OUT), in parallel with the improvement in Iraq's own capacity and the wishes of the Iraqi people. In the case of combat forces, this process is starting to occur (NEARLY 70 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION HATE THE US OCCUPATION).

The HOWARD Government's position has been clear and has provided certainty for its international partners (FREE TRADE BENEFITS FOR THEM MOSTLY) and for Australian troops overseas. It is at the request of the Iraqi Government and with the support of the United Nations Security Council (WHO DID OPPOSE THE CRUMMY WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT HAVE BEEN STUCK WITH OUR BUMBLING AND OUR INCOMPETENCE).

If the multinational force withdraws prematurely (BEFORE THE PETROL RUNS OUT) and the terrorists win, that will provide a great boost to international terrorism (THE SAME TERRORISM THAT GOT BOOSTED 10,000 PER CENT BY OUR GOING TO WAR IN THERE ANYWAY). This is why an arbitrary timetable for withdrawal, as suggested by Labor, is so dangerous (IT MIGHT BRING PEACE AND REAL FREEDOM TO THE OIL WELLS THAT ARE NOT FULLY IN PRIVATE FOREIGN [US] HANDS YET).

Australia is, in fact, contributing to its own INSECURITY by its presence in Iraq, and it is assisting the Iraqi (FUNDAMENTALIST) people towards a stable and better future (FOR THE PETROL PUMPS).

Robert Hill is the Minister for OFFENSE.