Current Events
<"Democratic principles and constitutional protections are being steadily eroded by Attorney General Ashcroft," said Neas. "It’s time for Congress to insist that the attorney general demonstrates respect for our Constitution and laws by his actions, not just by his words. And it is past time for members of Congress to stand up and fight when the nation’s Constitution and laws are under serious assault." "Former FBI leaders suggest that John Ashcroft is resurrecting the discredited tactics of J. Edgar Hoover," Neas. He cited recent Washington Post and New York Times articles reporting comments by many former FBI officials—including William Webster, a conservative Republican from Missouri and former FBI and CIA Director under Ronald Reagan— that raised serious concerns about the Justice Department’s current tactics. They said this arrest-and detain approach hasn’t worked in the past, might undercut efforts to infiltrate terrorist cells, and could lead to abuses of civil liberties. News reports indicate that a number of senior FBI and Justice Department officials disagree strongly with some of Ashcroft’s initiatives.
