FAS | Intelligence | News | 2005 ||||

April 2005 Intelligence News

• Report: U.S. citizens can't be detained, United Press International, April 29. "A Congressional Research Service report says neither the president nor the U.S. military has the right to hold U.S. citizens indefinitely without charge."
• Russian President Putin Delivers State of the Nation Address, April 25. "I believe that above all else we should enable citizens to have access to objective information. This is a crucial political issue, and it is directly linked to action within our state policy on the principles of freedom and justice."
• Experts Call Spy Agency Practice an Eye-Opener by Greg Miller, Los Angeles Times, April 25. "If a U.S. official asks, the NSA is in the habit of disclosing the identities of Americans it records in routine snooping, intelligence sources say."
• Cuba: Review of Fidel Castro Speeches, 2005, Foreign Broadcast Information Service, April 25. "An FBIS review of 18 addresses by Cuban President Fidel Castro covered by Cuban media to date in 2005."
• Report highlights challenges facing new national intelligence director by Chris Strohm, Government Executive Daily Briefing, April 15. "A recent Congressional Research Service report outlines challenges the nation's new director of national intelligence will face in implementing his powers."
• WMD panel threatened resignations by Shaun Waterman, United Press International, April 15. "Members of the presidential commission that examined U.S. intelligence failures told White House officials they would resign en masse if President Bush did not ensure that the nation's spy agencies cooperated with their inquiry -- and had to repeat the threat more than once."
• Justice Dept Briefing on Indictment of Three Accused of Conspiracy to Use WMD, April 12. "What specific types of WMD are they alleged to have plotted to use? Are they affiliated definitely with al Qaeda?"
• Counter-surveillance likely for papal deliberations by Will Knight, New Scientist News Service, April 12. "As cardinals gather in Vatican City to choose the successor to Pope John Paul II, the temptation to eavesdrop on their deliberations could prove too much for some."
• Fact Sheet: USA Patriot Act Provisions Set for Reauthorization, Justice Dept news release, April 5. "Today, Congress starts hearings on the PATRIOT Act to begin a discussion on 16 provisions of the law requiring reauthorization... The provisions set for reauthorization are as follows:"
• Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales Calls on Congress to Renew Vital Provisions of the Patriot Act, Justice Dept news release, April 5. "Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today called for Congress to renew all 16 provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act that are scheduled to sunset at the end of 2005 and presented the Senate Judiciary Committee with new information regarding the Justice Department's use of certain PATRIOT Act provisions."
• Justice Dept Releases New Numbers on Section 213 of the Patriot Act, news release, April 4. "In total, the government has sought delayed-notification search warrants an aggregate total of 155 times under section 213 of the USA PATRIOT Act."