Privacy Board Clears U.S. Spy Programs

[Ian David]

By HOPE YEN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A White House privacy board is giving its stamp of approval to two of the Bush administration's controversial surveillance programs - electronic eavesdropping and financial tracking - and says they do not violate citizens' civil liberties.

Democrats newly in charge of Congress quickly criticized the findings, which they said were questionable given some of the board members' close ties with the Bush administration.

"Their current findings and any additional conclusions they reach will be taken with a grain of salt until they become fully independent," said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee.

After operating mostly in secret for a year, the five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Board is preparing to release its first report to Congress next week.

The report finds that both the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping program and the Treasury Department's monitoring of international banking transactions have sufficient privacy protections, three board members told The Associated Press in telephone interviews.

More:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TERROR_PRIVACY?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Sapere aude]

1. White House privacy board = fox, surveillance programs = hen house