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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rick Faurot who wrote (25776)	8/19/2003 11:45:31 AM
From: Rick Faurot	Respond to of 89467

Attorney General to Defend Anti-Terrorism Law Tue August 19, 2003 11:14 AM ET By James Vicini WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft on Tuesday begins a nationwide campaign to defend the anti-terrorism law adopted after the 9/11 attacks that faces criticism from civil libertarians and others for giving the government broad powers to eavesdrop and detain immigrants. Justice Department officials said Ashcroft was kicking off the month-long effort with a speech to a conservative think tank in Washington. He will be traveling to more than a dozen cities to try to drum up support for the USA Patriot Act. The law, adopted less than six weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks, enhanced the government's ability to tap phones, share intelligence information, track Internet usage and cell phones and protect U.S. borders. The American Civil Liberties Union has spearheaded opposition to the law and questioned whether Ashcroft's tour was politically motivated. And legislation is pending in the U.S. Congress that would roll back a key provision of the law allowing the government to conduct "sneak and peek" searches of private property. A Justice Department official said Ashcroft would seek to "clear up some myths" about the law and stress it has been an "essential tool" in the war against terrorism. "We have been successful. We have had two years without another attack," Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo said. After the speech, Ashcroft planned to travel to Philadelphia and Cleveland on Wednesday and then Detroit and Des Moines on Thursday, speaking to law enforcement officials, as part of the nationwide visits expected to last four weeks. "An attorney general going on the road, away from his official duties, to favorably spin policies violative of civil liberties is troubling, to say the least," said Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington office. "It raises two serious questions: is this tour -- which incidentally hits Iowa, Michigan and Ohio -- political in nature and how prudent is it to be spending public money on a 'Patriot Act' charm offensive?" she asked. Corallo denied the states to be visited were picked because they were crucial to President Bush's 2004 re-election effort. Justice Department officials have been concerned that opposition to the law is increasing and might scuttle efforts to adopt new anti-terrorism legislation. They also worry about the legislation overwhelming approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last month that would block the Justice Department from using any funds to secretly search the homes of suspects and only inform them later that a warrant has been issued to do so. The legislation was sponsored by Idaho Republican C.L. "Butch" Otter and was approved by a 309-118 vote. Aides said Ashcroft would oppose the legislation in his speech. About 150 local governments have also approved resolutions objecting to the Patriot Act.

To: Rick Faurot who wrote (25776)	8/19/2003 12:31:15 PM
From: Rick Faurot	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

13 Killed in Baghdad Blast, UN Official Says Tue August 19, 2003 11:46 AM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Thirteen people were killed in Tuesday's suspected truck bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, a U.N. official told CNN. "We have 13 dead and I hope we will not have more than that," Salim Lone said by telephone from the scene of the blast. Lone said U.N. special representative to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello, whose office appeared to have been the target of the bombers, was still trapped under the rubble. "He was certainly conscious in the minutes after the blast. I am not sure of his condition at the moment," Lone said.