Reading the Fine Print on Intelligence Reform

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Last week, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform Bill. Written as a response to the work of the 9/11 Commission, it restructures US foreign and domestic intelligence agencies in an effort to make America safer and avoid another terrorist attack. The legislation creates the post of National Intelligence Director who will oversee the federal government-s 15 intelligence agencies. But the final bill also contains provisions to loosen standards for FBI surveillance warrants, to make it easier to deny bail to terrorism suspects, to share grand jury information with foreign governments in terrorism cases, and many other provisions that most listeners and many lawmakers know little about. Guest host Conan Nolan speaks with journalists, the ACLU and a former federal prosecutor about these little-talked about aspects of the intelligence reform bill. Making News: Former Hussein Aides to be Tried Next Week In a surprise announcement interim Iraq Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said trials of former top figures from Saddam Hussein-s ousted regime will begin next week. Observers are surprised because trials were not expected to start until late 2005. Anthony Shadid, foreign correspondent for the Washington Post, says the move may be a public relations gesture before the January presidential elections. Reporter-s Notebook: Google Goes to the Library Oxford University, for centuries the seat of learning in the western world, is lending some of its oldest books to Google so they can be scanned and read on the Internet. Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan and New York Public Library are also participating. Ronald Milne, acting director of Oxford-s Bodleian Library, and Wired magazine's Paul Boutin discuss the project, which will allow virtual access to 1,500,000 volumes from the 19th century.
Last week, Congress passed the Intelligence Reform Bill. Written as a response to the work of the 9/11 Commission, it restructures US foreign and domestic intelligence agencies in an effort to make America safer and avoid another terrorist attack. The legislation creates the post of National Intelligence Director who will oversee the federal government-s 15 intelligence agencies. But the final bill also contains provisions to loosen standards for FBI surveillance warrants, to make it easier to deny bail to terrorism suspects, to share grand jury information with foreign governments in terrorism cases, and many other provisions that most listeners and many lawmakers know little about. Guest host Conan Nolan speaks with journalists, the ACLU and a former federal prosecutor about these little-talked about aspects of the intelligence reform bill.
  • Making News: Former Hussein Aides to be Tried Next Week
    In a surprise announcement interim Iraq Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said trials of former top figures from Saddam Hussein-s ousted regime will begin next week. Observers are surprised because trials were not expected to start until late 2005. Anthony Shadid, foreign correspondent for the Washington Post, says the move may be a public relations gesture before the January presidential elections.
  • Reporter-s Notebook: Google Goes to the Library
    Oxford University, for centuries the seat of learning in the western world, is lending some of its oldest books to Google so they can be scanned and read on the Internet. Harvard, Stanford, the University of Michigan and New York Public Library are also participating. Ronald Milne, acting director of Oxford-s Bodleian Library, and Wired magazine's Paul Boutin discuss the project, which will allow virtual access to 1,500,000 volumes from the 19th century.
Guest host Conan Nolan, a reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles, covering international, national and local news. Since 1986, he's reported on Capitol Hill, the Columbine massacre, the capture of "Unabomber" Ted Kaczinski, the infamous police chase of O.J.Simpson, Loma Prieta-San Francisco earthquake, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Prior to joining NBC-s LA team, Nolan reported for the network-s Salinas affiliate. He-s also worked as a television news reporter and sports anchor, as well as a public radio political reporter, in San Luis Obispo. The graduate of UC Davis grew up in Los Osos, in California-s central coast. He and his family live in the Los Angeles area.

Shadid's article on upcoming trials

National Intelligence Reform Act (S 2845 ENR)

9/11 Commission

USA Patriot Act of 2001

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)

Sen Charles Schumer on terrorism, national security

Rep Sensenbrenner on national defense

President Bush on immigration reform

ACLU on intelligence reform

Google to scan books to create searchable library online

Credits

Host:

Warren Olney