Cheney Assails Press on Report on Bank Data

The Vice President for Torture, Dick Cheney, has attacked the media for disclosing the fact that the government have been trawling through people's bank records, saying that this action is legal and implying that the media are merely aiding terrorists.

It's a familiar enough refrain whenever this administration are caught doing anything secret, but Cheney added a new twist this time by adding, "That offends me."

This seems to be the new way for the administration to defend itself against criticism, withTony Snow taking it to new heights when he told veteran White House reporter, Helen Thomas, to stop pestering the teacher.

Add to this Bush's claim that he is the decider, and we begin to get the framework in which the Bush regime would like the media to operate.

However, those pesky reporters seem determined to undermine the Bushites at every point and they insist on reporting dissenting views to the ones Cheney would like to hear discussed.

The executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, Anthony D. Romero, condemned the program, calling it "another example of the Bush administration's abuse of power."

Lauren Weinstein, the head of the California-based Privacy Forum, an online discussion group, raised concerns about lack of independent review of the operation. "Oversight is the difference between something being reasonable and something being abuse," he said.

Senator Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said he had sent letters on Friday to both Treasury Secretary John W. Snow and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales on the issue. While he declined to release the letters, he said he was concerned about the legal authority for the operation.

So even Arlen Specter is questioning the legality of the programme. My favourite quote though came from one of the banks executives:

Initial reaction from global banks was muted, with one executive saying that while the privacy of information was a contentious issue within the industry, the Swift operation had so far generated few complaints.

Erm, that might be because it was secret and we didn't know about it, buddy.

Now I have no idea at this point whether or not this action is illegal or not, but Cheney hardly strengthens his argument when he likens the Swift operation to the recent discovery of the National Security Agency eavesdropping, which has been done without warrants.

"The fact of the matter is that these are good, solid, sound programs," the vice president said at the fund-raiser in Chicago for David McSweeney, a Republican who is running against Representative Melissa Bean, a freshman Democrat.

"They are conducted in accordance with the laws of the land," Mr. Cheney continued, adding, "They're carried out in a manner that is fully consistent with the constitutional authority of the president of the United States. They are absolutely essential in terms of protecting us against attacks."

The NSA eavesdropping was done outside the limitations set by FISA which itself states it is "the exclusive means" by which wiretapping may be authorised on US citizens.

If FISA is "the exclusive means" by which wiretapping can be authorised then it is rather obvious that ANY wiretapping done out with it is illegal.

But maybe teacher knows best and we should all quieten down lest we offend him.

Tags: Cheney, Swift, press, freedom, NSA, eavesdropping,