Our Ability to Fight Foreign Terrorism Just Got Weaker
The expiration of FISA Section 702 leaves a vacuum in our capabilities that the president now must fill.
Beset by partisan scuffles for political advantage as the midterms approach, Congress on Friday night failed to renew one of the powers central to the fight against foreign terrorists. Without the power to intercept foreign electronic communications, Republican and Democratic leaders have allowed a large hole to emerge in Washington’s ability to detect and stop foreign attacks. Congress has demonstrated again that it cannot shoulder the government’s most fundamental duties; its failure now requires President Trump to draw on his constitutional power to fill the gap.
Until Friday night, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allowed the National Security Agency and FBI to intercept electronic communications abroad. The intelligence agencies can use this information to build a mosaic of terrorist activities and inform law enforcement to pre-empt attacks before they occur. If our government had the legal ability to collect this information and share it before September 11, 2001, it could have prevented the catastrophic strikes on New York City and Washington, D.C.
Politics
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Is American Nationalism Still Creed-able?
We are not there now, but there is reason to worry that the United States is in danger, if we are not careful, of ceasing to be a nation with the principles of 1776 at its core.
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
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Can Britain’s Next Prime Minister Escape the Net Zero Trap?
Britain has burned through five Prime Ministers and is paying some of the highest electricity prices in the world.
The Scanner at the Gate: Europe’s China Policy Litmus Test
China’s industrial policy is entering Europe through public procurement—and reshaping sensitive markets from within.
Confronting the New Antisemitism
"The postwar effort 'to rebrand Judaism as a religion' has made it impossible for American Jews to understand what they are facing today, because what we are facing today is an attack on the idea of Jewish peoplehood.”
“Democratic” Socialism Is Undemocratic
By promoting class hatred, suppressing private initiative, and seeking enhanced control of our lives, today’s democratic socialists undermine patriotism and individual initiative—two qualities that have long distinguished the United States from other major nations.
