12/21/2005

NRO: Clinton Claimed Authority to Order No-Warrant Searches

Byron York reported yesterday: In a little-remembered debate from 1994, the Clinton administration argued that the president has "inherent authority" to order physical searches — including break-ins at the homes of U.S. citizens — for foreign intelligence purposes without any warrant or permission from any outside body. Even after the administration ultimately agreed with Congress's decision to place the authority to pre-approve such searches in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court, President Clinton still maintained that he had sufficient authority to order such searches on his own....

"The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes," Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994, "and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General."

"It is important to understand," Gorelick continued, "that the rules and methodology for criminal searches are inconsistent with the collection of foreign intelligence and would unduly frustrate the president in carrying out his foreign intelligence responsibilities."


YOU remember who Jamie Gorlick is...

She was Bill Clinton's Attorney General that created the walls...the obstructive walls that prevented the CIA and the FBI from communicating to each other...SHE'S the one that SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WITNESS RATHER THAN A 9-11 COMMISSION MEMBER!...

but...I digress...that's another story all together...

The point is...CLINTON CLAIMED AUTHORITY TO ORDER PHYSICAL SEARCHES, INCLUDING BREAK-IN'S OF AMERICAN CITIZEN'S HOMES WITHOUT A WARRANT OR PERMISSION!!!!!!!!!!

Hey liberals...SHUT-TF-UP!!!!!!!!

DR