WHAT THE FSCK?!

In reference to s9's post below, please read the following from Project on Government Oversight.

They are complaining about provisions of the House Intelligence Authorization bill for FY2007. Check out this gem:

Section 423 – Additional Functions And Authorities For Protective Personnel Of The Central Intelligence Agency

We are particularly concerned with the language in Sections 423, “Additional Functions and Authorities for the Protective Personnel of the Central Intelligence Agency,” and Section 432, “Codification of Authorities of National Security Agency Protective Personnel.” As currently written, Section 423 proposes that:

(a) The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency may issue regulations to allow personnel designated to carry out executive protection functions for the Central Intelligence Agency under section 5(a)(4) of the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 (50 USC 403f) to, while engaged in such protective functions, make arrests without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in the presence of such personnel, or for any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States, if such personnel have probable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing that felony offense.

(b) The powers granted under subsection (a) may be exercised only in accordance with guidelines approved by the Attorney General.

There is a section just like it for creating a secret national police agency for the NSA as well...

So let's be very clear on what these sections of law will do. They will grant nearly unlimited power to uniformed and plainclothes members of the "protective service" of both the NSA and CIA to enforce the law anywhere in the United States as long as it is justified under their "protective" functions, including arresting any person for any felony. This could include everything from espionage to possession of pot.

Moreover, both of these sections also transfer direct control through approval opinions from CIA and NSA and place them Sparky Gonzalez' office. The guy who says torture is legal and the President is a law unto himself, will get legal control over the new secret national police forces.

And again I ask: are we there, yet?

mojo sends