My Comment:
In this report Glenn profiles 5 American citizens who were and quite possibly still are, under NSA surveillance. They are a high profile attorney who has represented terrorism suspects, two college professors and the head of the largest Muslim charity. Of these the most disturbing in my opinion is the case of Asim Ghafoor, a lawyer. Ghafoor had already sued the government successfully (reversed on appeal) when the Bush administration had illegally spied on him and his client. The latest release indicates he was still being spied on during and after the trial. This is fairly frightening from a legal standpoint. First it is a clear violation of Attorney-Client privilege, an absolute civil right ensuring a fair trial that everyone is entitled to. Second, how could Ghafoor have a fair lawsuit if he himself is being wiretapped? Did the government use the information they collected to their advantage in the case? How many times has this happened to other people?
Asim Ghafoor with President Bush and Hilarly Clinton. -The Intercept
Unfortunately i don't see this story making a huge impact. Greenwald described it as a fireworks finale, but it's more of a fizzle. As of this writing it's not being covered by the major news networks. Hopefully that's because they haven't had enough time to analyze but the cynic in me says its because they don't think it is worth covering. It pains me to admit it, but people aren't going to care if it is Muslims under the microscope, no matter how unconstitutional it is. Even I breathed a sigh of relief when I learned the people under surveillance had names like Ghafoor and Saeed instead of, for example, Ron Paul, or Wayne LaPierre. Of course nobody seemed to care when it was James Rosen and the good folks at the Associated Press were under surveillance either.
And that sums up the whole problem. People don't think it can happen to them. I am sure there are plenty of people that feel that anyone with a Muslim last name should be under surveillance. And I am sure more then a few think that anyone from Fox News should have their civil rights revoked. It's such a narrow minded viewpoint though. Sure today it's the Muslims but what happens when these unconstitutional weapons are pointed at someone like you? I'm still very concerned that my political beliefs might one day be used against me since I have more then a few controversial opinions. And even if you are lockstep with every single issue the current administration what happens when a new one gets elected in 2016? It's not important who is getting targeted right now, it's the fact that the government has way more power then it should.
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