Notes for a Friday in July
Last night, the House renewed the USA Patriot Act by a vote of 267-171. Fourteen of the sixteen sections with “sunset clauses” were made permanent, and the other two were extended for ten years. The much-maligned-but-never-used-in-a-terrorism-investigation Section 215, which permitted authorities to execute warrants for such information as library records remains, but was amended to require the FBI director to personally approve any FBI requests for the bookstore or library records of suspected terrorists. The vote on the amendment was 402-26. Democratic Reps.
Last night, the House renewed the USA Patriot Act by a vote of 267-171. Fourteen of the sixteen sections with “sunset clauses” were made permanent, and the other two were extended for ten years. The much-maligned-but-never-used-in-a-terrorism-investigation Section 215, which permitted authorities to execute warrants for such information as library records remains, but was amended to require the FBI director to personally approve any FBI requests for the bookstore or library records of suspected terrorists. The vote on the amendment was 402-26. Democratic Reps. Ike Skelton and Jane Harman – both JINSA Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award recipients – voted for the renewal, along with 41 other Democrats.
Tunnels: JINSA reported in 1982 on tunnels dug under buildings in Beirut by the PLO. The tunnels, often constructed under civilian apartment houses, hid large quantities of weapons. JINSA continued reporting on Palestinian tunnel digging between Gaza and Egypt throughout the 1990s, but only in the past two years has the scope and sophistication of the tunnels become clear, along with their utility for smuggling weapons into Gaza. For an excellent story on the subject, click HERE.
Reports of tunnels dug between the U.S. and Mexico began to surface around the year 2000, including an elaborate, 1,000 foot-long tunnel equipped with rails, electric lighting and a ventilation system found in 2002. Now federal agents have found one between the U.S. and Canada, ending inside a house in Washington State. Using a delayed-notice search warrant – as provided for in the USA Patriot Act – agents entered the house two weeks ago to examine the tunnel and install cameras and listening devices to monitor activities there. The tunnel had wood supports, fiberglass walls, a ventilation system, video security and a groundwater removal system.
Ceasing fire? In June there were 124 shooting incidents and 120 rockets and mortar shell launches from the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. Since the February “ceasefire”, there have been 800 attacks: Fatah claimed 45 percent, Hamas 27 percent and Islamic Jihad 24 percent. Intra-Palestinian fighting killed three Palestinian children last week, after Hamas members launched missiles from the northern Gaza Strip into Israel. After the launch they came into contact with Palestinian police and fighting ensued, killing the children and injuring 50 other people.
Correction: JINSA Report #502 failed to include Iraq as a member of the Middle East Small-d democratic Club, the requirements for which include free, fair, secret, non-coercive multiparty elections for a government in which the parliament has legislative powers, in a civil society that has a free press and electronic media.
Hezbollah’s coercive capabilities in the south prevent full membership for Lebanon; we can call it an associate. The PA parliament has no real legislative power against the executive and there is often-lethal coercion of public opinion.
Iraq’s accession doubles the number of members of the club.