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FISA Judges Oppose Intelligence Reform Proposals Aimed At Court
cold fjord writes "The LA Times reports, 'Judges on the ... surveillance court have strongly rejected any proposed changes to their review process ... In a blunt letter to the House and Senate intelligence and judiciary committees, U.S. District Judge John D. Bates made it clear that the 11 judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court are united in opposition to key recommendations by a presidential task force last month ... their skepticism adds to a list of hurdles for those advocating significant reforms following former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden's massive disclosures of domestic and foreign surveillance programs. ... Obama and some intelligence officials have publicly signaled support for creating an adversarial legal process in the court ... and aides have suggested the president will create an advocate's position or call for legislation to do so ... But Bates disagreed sharply, arguing that "the participation of an advocate would neither create a truly adversarial process nor constructively assist the courts in assessing the facts, as the advocate would be unable to communicate with the target or conduct an independent investigation." Adding an advocate to "run-of-the-mill FISA matters would substantially hamper the work of the courts without providing any countervailing benefit in terms of privacy protection," he added.' — The Hill adds that Bates, "... recommended an advocate chosen by the court, rather than an independent authority, for only a limited number of cases. " — More at Computerworld and NPR."
Disbanding the FISA court wouldn't get you anything. Other courts deal with classified or confidential information too. You still don't get to see it if it is from a court besides the FISA court.
The FISA court isn't a secret court. Its members are public record, as is its function. The warrants it issues are confidential since publicizing the list of spies terrorists under surveillance would be counter-productive. If you have a way of making the information available to 299,999,999 people in the US while excluding the 1 under surveillance, and are sure his friends wouldn't tell him, I'm sure they would love to hear it.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
You'll be crushed, either way. The ratchet turns only one way.
Like the wartime censorship, surveillance, and other security measures used in WW I & II?
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell