Justice Dept. Draft on Wider Powers Draws Quick Criticism
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A storm of liberal criticism erupted today over
a Justice Department draft of legislation to increase the law
enforcement powers it won in 2001 in the U.S.A. Patriot Act.
Although a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, Barbara Comstock,
insisted that the draft represented nothing more than staff
discussions, copies were sent to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and
to Vice President Dick Cheney in his capacity as president of the
Senate. \266Invalidate state legal consent decrees that seek to curb police spying. The authors argued such orders could hinder terrorism investigations. \266Eliminate the requirement that the attorney general personally has to authorize using certain intelligence evidence in a criminal case, permitting him to designate an assistant attorney general to make such authorizations. \266Allow the collection of DNA samples by "such means as are reasonably necessary" from suspected terrorists being held by federal authorities. Failing to cooperate would be a crime. \266Flatly bar Freedom of Information Act efforts to gain information about detainees, because litigation over such issues costs the Justice Department resources. \266Allow citizenship to be stripped from people who support groups that the United States considers terrorist organizations. |
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