[Osx-nutters] Bush Admin Asserts Powers to Open US Mail

[Kevin Callahan]

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/05/1539252

Bush Admin Asserts Powers to Open US Mail
Back in the United States, privacy advocates are warning over a new  
presidential decree that asserts White House authority to open US  
mail without court-approved warrants. In a signing statement attached  
to a postal reform bill last month, President Bush said the  
administration will interpret a section of the law to grant itself  
the authority to open sealed mail in the case of emergencies or  
foreign intelligence matters. The White House says it is not  
expanding its powers but clarifying existing laws. But privacy  
advocates say current laws already allow the opening of mail believed  
to contain an imminent threat. Kate Martin, director of the Center  
for National Security Studies in Washington, said: "The  
administration is playing games about warrants. If they are not  
claiming new powers, then why did they need to issue a signing  
statement?"