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If You Are a Terrorist, Please Don't Attack Next Week

By wt

The Protect America Act is expiring tomorrow at midnight. And the House is in recess all of next week.

It's hard to make objective statements about the expiration, because all of the claims being made are tinged with political rhetoric.

Democrats are claiming current laws are good enough.

Republicans are saying they aren't.

The specific consequence of the expiration is that telecommunications companies that assist the government won't be granted civil and criminal immunity against anti-wiretapping laws. This, obviously, will make them reluctant to help out the government.

The Senate has already approved this immunity. The House will likely (though not necessarily) approve it after the recess.

I don't know for sure whether this immunity is critical for getting telecomm companies to be 100% helpful in helping the government, but it seems dangerous to let terrorists KNOW that as of tomorrow night, the old 1978 procedures for getting a FISA warrant will be back in play, and the there's at least a chance telecomm companies will be fearful of civil or criminal liability.

So if you're a terrorist, and you heard that it may be harder to figure out that you're being eavesdropped on, I'm asking you, as a favor, not to attack next week.

Please.

Full post as published by Expressio Unius on February 15, 2008 (boomark / email).