Commission on Terrorism Seeks Broad Powers

by Jim Hightower

Why is it that every time there's a terrorist assault somewhere, our country's officials respondby conducting a terrorist assault on our Bill of Rights? Welcome to the NCT, a panel of six Republicans and four Democrats appointed by congressional leaders after a 1998 bombing of a U.S. embassy in Africa. The panel's members are mostly former spooks from the CIA, FBI, and the like, so -- Big Surprise! -- they have concluded that the answer to terrorist attacks around the world is to give spooks like them more power to restrain the civil liberties of innocent people here at home.

The government already spends some $10 billion a year on assorted anti-terrorist escapades, yet this bunch wants more. For starters, the commission recommends that the Feds track the movements of every foreign student in the U.S. Is there a big problem with foreign students committing terrorist acts in our country? No. But, say these geniuses, a 'small minority may exploit their student status to support terrorist activity." Joseph McCarthy would be so proud.

The commission says federal police should be alerted anytime foreign (or foreign-looking) students change their majors from, say, "English literature to nuclear physics." Oh yeah, switching majors is a sure sign of terrorist inclinations.

In addition, the NCT wants to militarize the anti-terrorism campaign on our own soil, conveying operational authority from civilian agencies to the Pentagon. Now there's an idea that would make King George III smile. Also, the commission says the CIA must be unleashed again to employ foreign human-rights abusers, thugs, and even terrorists as informant agents. Great -- maybe the agency can re-recruit Manuel Noriega.

Lord save us from counter-terrorism terrorists!