[Mb-civic] A washingtonpost.com article from: michael@intrafi.com

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 Playing Politics With Reform
 
    THE HOUSE OF Representatives' version of intelligence reform might be dismissed as an election-year stunt were it not so dangerous. The bill does not differ from the Senate's version merely on how much  to empower a new director of national intelligence, a subject about which reasonable minds can differ. It also burdens the entire project with a grab bag of controversial changes in security policy. Some provisions -- criminalizing terrorist hoaxes, enhancing penalties for obstruction of justice in terrorism cases -- are relatively insignificant election-year posturing. But many, like the bill's broad new deportation powers, are egregious. One section would relax restrictions on deporting people who may face torture at home, in violation of an international treaty to which this country is a party. Other sections, authorizing new surveillance powers in terrorism cases and changing the definition of criminal support for terrorist groups, may have merit but involve complex and highly controversial policy changes that warrant debate.
 
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