US PATRIOT ACT POSITION PAPER Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US PATRIOT ACT POSITION - Research Paper Example As such, the USA Patriot Act is the appropriate response to terrorism. Al Qaeda attack on the World Trade Centre on 11th September, 2001, is an acronym for ‘Uniting And Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept And Obstruct Terrorism.’ This statute was signed into law by President George Bush on 26 October, 2001. The main thrust of the Act is the streamlining of communication between the miscellaneous intelligence agencies, and the strengthening of the powers of law enforcement agencies in accessing private records, gathering intelligence, regulating financial transactions and controlling immigration. A reauthorization Bill, incorporating several changes, was passed in March, 2006. It is indisputable that the Patriot Act is a necessary and potent tool to combat terrorism, and to plug the existing loopholes that impede investigations. Some provisions of the Act have generated debate in the context of the infringement of privacy and civil liberties. The three controversial provisions of the Patriot Act are Se ction 213 which validates delayed notification search warrants, Section 215 which provides intelligence agencies access to private records, and Section 802 which defines domestic terrorism. Section 213 of the Patriot Act, which has been dubbed the ‘sneak and peek’ provision, authorizes the FBI to search the business or residential premises of a terrorism suspect without giving the target of the investigation any immediate notice of the search. Searches may be conducted by secret court orders, without a criminal subpoena, by submitting that the search is ‘sought for’ in an ongoing investigation. The FBI does not have to establish that it has ‘probable cause’ to infer that the suspect is actively involved in terrorist activity. (ACLU ProCon.org). Critics aver that the standards set by the Act for obtaining broad