Mayors hear specifics of Anti-terrorism Act

Speaking to the U.S. Conference of Mayors yesterday, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft outlined the basics of the Anti-terrorism Act of 2001. The Act has prompted mixed reaction from legislators and civil liberties organizations, some of whom believe the surveillance components give the Justice Department too much leeway.

According to Ashcroft, the first principle of the Act is “airtight surveillance of terrorists.” He told the mayors that investigators and prosecutors will be directed immediately to seek court orders to intercept communications. “Communications regarding terrorist offenses such as the use of biological or chemical agents, financing acts of terrorism or materially supporting terrorism will be subject to interception by law enforcement,” he said.

“Agents will be directed to take advantage of new, technologically neutral standards for intelligence gathering,” Ashcroft explained. “So-called ‘roving’ wiretaps, that allow taps of multiple phones a suspect may use, are being added as an important weapon in our war against terror.” He added that investigators will pursue terrorists on the Internet, using devices that capture sender and receiver addresses.

The second principle of the legislation is speed in tracking down and intercepting terrorists. Ashcroft said, “Investigators are now able to use a single court order to trace a communication even when it travels outside the judicial district in which the order was issued. The scope of search warrants for unopened e-mail and other evidence is now also nationwide.

“The new tools for law enforcement in the war against terrorism are the products of hundreds of hours of consultation and careful consideration by the administration, members of Congress, and state and local officials,” Ashcroft concluded. “They are careful balanced, and long overdue improvements in our capacity to prevent terrorism.”

For a complete transcript of the attorney general’s address, visit the Department of Justice Web site.