“Warrantless Wiretapping” Does Work. Ask FARC.
What can a robust surveillance program, where intelligence agencies can monitor the conversations of terrorists across borders, accomplish? Well, for one, it can cripple a strong and established terrorist group.
Since I’m no longer linking directly to AP articles, I’ll point you toward a good post by Dan Collins and give you a precis of the story. Back in 2003, a high-ranking FARC member named Nancy Conde wanted to get her group some satellite phones. She called some of people friendly to her in Miami to get them. The Colombians (it’s assumed from the story) intercepted that call and began listening to her in earnest. That was part of a cooperative program between Colombia and US authorities put in place not long after three Americans literally fell into FARCs hands. They contacted the FBI, who arrested the folks in Miami who in turn rolled over on Conde. They put in in touch with a company that was really an FBI front operation to get the phones. Over the next four years, they supplied Conde with satellite phones and communications equipment, all of which was compromised to high Heaven. The Colombians intercepted some 5000 calls to and from FARC members, most of which dealing cocaine for guns or buying and distributing everything from medical supplies to food and cash. FARC’s communications center was completely open to the Colombians and they made the most of it. Colombian authorities eventually arrested Conde and 39 other members of the group. Subsequent arrests netted several more high-ranking terrorists and led directly to the rescue of the 15 hostages earlier this month.
I seriously doubt whether the initial conversations between Conde and her friends in Miami were approved at the time by a court warrant, or even if FISA was involved here in the US at all. It’s a lot more likely that the Colombian government used good common sense and realized that a conversation between a Colombian and terrorist suspects in another country didn’t require rigorous judicial review, especially if such review would arrive after the important conversation happened.
What should be worrying Democrats right now is whether or not any of those intercepted conversations involved Representative James McGovern who was in pretty close contact with FARC and actually negotiated with them over the hostages. We’ve subsequently learned, from a well-placed Colombian official close to both FARC and Hugo Chavez that McGovern was giving them assurances that the Democratic party, thanks to McGovern’s handler Nancy Pelosi, would kill the free trade bill with Colombia which would greatly strengthen FARC’s hand. We also know from captured FARC documents that McGovern was working with an intermediary on FARC’s behalf.
It’s no wonder that Pelosi and her fellow Democrats are so incensed about the new law that allows the President to do pretty much what he has been legally doing all along. If we continue to intercept communications that route through equipment outside the US and involve a terrorist, who knows what other Democrats we’ll catch with his or her hand in the cookie jar?
Other Posts of Interest:
- Chalk Another One Up for the Good Guys – Colombia FARCs a Bunch of Terrorists and Gets to Poke Hugo Chavez in His Big, Fat Eye.
- You Shall Know Them By Their T-Shirts
- Pelosi Breaks More Promises, Ho Hum
Category: Alliances and Allies, No More Tyrants, Our Foreign Policy, Our New Democratic Overlords, The Long War Here At Home
