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CNN Live At Daybreak

Justice Department Gives FBI Controversial New Powers

Aired May 31, 2002 - 05:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Civil rights groups are concerned about the FBI's broad new powers. The Bush administration insists the reforms are necessary in the fight against terrorism.

CNN Justice Correspondent Kelli Arena has details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Justice Department is easing restrictions on domestic surveillance, giving FBI agents the freedom to monitor anything open to the public, including Internet sites, mosques and political organizations, to look for terrorism clues, even if agents are not pursuing a criminal investigation.

JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Under the current guidelines, FBI investigators cannot, for example, surf the Web in the same way that you and I can to look for information. Nor can FBI investigators simply walk into a public event or a public place to observe ongoing activities.

ARENA: Field guidelines were put in place back in the 70s in reaction to the FBI keeping intelligence files on civil rights figures and anti-government protesters. The attorney general says those restrictions give terrorists an unfair advantage. But civil rights groups say the rule changes go too far.

LAURA MURPHY, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION: People who go to places of worship, people who go to libraries, people who are in chat rooms, are going to have big brother listening in, even though there's no evidence that they are involved in anything illegal whatsoever.

ARENA: What's more, critics contend the new powers could be easily abused.

REP. JOHN CONYERS (D), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We can't be naive. You don't lower the standards to a point of extinction and say "Everything is OK. Trust me, we're just doing what citizens do." Of course, I mean, that's a little bit insulting to our intelligence.

ARENA: Ashcroft says the limits are clear.

ASHCROFT: It's very simply stated: for the purpose of detecting or preventing terrorist activities. ARENA: The changes, which do not require congressional approval, also give FBI field offices the authority to open terror investigations, undercover operations, and seek search warrants without going to headquarters first.

(on camera): The new guidelines are part of a wholesale reorganization aimed at helping the FBI anticipate and not react to acts of terrorism. As one senior justice official put it, "We will never return to the bad old days."

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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