Frist Proposes Giving Terrorists More Power in US

Thursday, July 14-- Senate majority leader Bill Frist (R, TN) offered an amendment to a counter-terrorism bill that would actually give terrorists a direct say in US security matters. Specifically, the Frist amendment would give terrorists the authority to strip the security clearance of any US officeholder who makes a statement that is "based on an FBI agent's comments" merely by using the statement in a propaganda release. Of course, the effect of such legislation would simply be that no one with a security clearance could ever discuss any FBI findings--or even offhand comments by FBI agents--without immediately being stripped of his or her clearance by some terrorist somewhere in the world. FBI agents themselves could not make any public statements without losing their security clearances and presumably their jobs. The measure was supported by 33 Republican Senators.

Frist offered the amendment in retaliation for--and to protect Karl Rove from--Democrat's efforts to have Rove's security clearance revoked, after Rove blew the cover of a covert CIA officer. No more needs to be said about the motives of Republicans than this: their leader in the Senate, along with 60% of all US Republican Senators, tried to hand enormous power to terrorists, and effectively destroy the FBI--America's premier counter-terrorism agency.