[Boris Karliss, US News Contributor]
RT.com: A buoyant President Obama and the US Congress successfully collaborated to continue America’s controversial ‘war on terror‘ with the extension of the US Patriot Act until 2015. This means that the police and secret service will have blanket authority to spy on all Americans, whether they are involved in terror activities or not, for four more years when the Act is likely to be extended again.
Compulsory Internal Digital Examinations for Travellers
This event coupled with rumours abounding of a move by the US government to authorise internal digital examination for all travellers through US airports, US human rights activists are saying that the wide range of spying methods authorised to be employed against law-abiding citizens are being used by the Obama administration as fear tools for political advantage.
US Governments Latest Spy Tool Against Americans
With the collaboration of the major US wireless operators, the US government now has achieved a direct link to each and every hand held device in the USA. This will enable it with an alert system whereby the president and government agencies can send direct messages to each American with a handheld device warning of terror threats, weather disasters, etc. As this is just the start of the scheme many are fearing that it will soon become far more intrusive.
The system is due to become operative by the end of the year and will be fully nationwide by the middle of 2012.
Related articles
- Is The “Patriot Act” Patriotic? Remembering The Bill of Rights (timesunion.com)
- US Senate votes to extend Patriot Act provisions; House voting shortly (boingboing.net)
- Lawmakers Agree to Patriot Act With No Oversight Revisions 20 May 2011 – Source: Citizens for Legitimate Government (curmilus.wordpress.com)
- Senate Passes 4-Year Re-Up of Patriot Act Provisions (news.slashdot.org)
- Lawmakers Again Punt on Patriot Act Reform (wired.com)
- Patriot Act Extended (blogcritics.org)
- “Patriot Act Extension Passes Senate, Rand Paul Amendments Fail” and related posts (huffingtonpost.com)
- Patriot Act Extended (sfcmac.wordpress.com)
- Patriot Act Extension Moves Forward In Senate (huffingtonpost.com)
- Senate moves Patriot Act toward extension (boston.com)