2007年VOA标准英语-US Government Report Cites FBI Abuses in Obtain

By Jim Malone
Washington
09 March 2007

An internal U.S. government report says the Federal Bureau of Investigation², the FBI, abused its powers in secretly obtaining personal information in investigations³ targeting terrorism or espionage⁴ suspects. Law enforcement officials are already pledging to correct the mistakes, as we hear from VOA National correspondent Jim Malone.

The report by the Justice Department's inspector⁵ general says the FBI improperly⁷ and at times illegally abused its power when it demanded and received customer information from telephone companies, Internet service providers and financial institutions in the course of terrorism and espionage investigations.

The report found that the FBI misused⁹ the authority contained in what are called National Security Letters to compel the release of private information without getting prior approval from a judge or a grand jury.

The use of the letters as an investigative tool has expanded dramatically since the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

The inspector general's report found 26 possible violations¹⁰ by the FBI, and said 22 of those were the result of errors by the bureau.

Civil liberties groups expressed alarm at the report and called on Congress to limit the FBI's power under the Patriot¹¹ Act, the set of anti-terror laws passed by lawmakers in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.

"It confirms our greatest suspicions about the abuse of Patriot Act powers and specifically, the abuse of the National Security Letter powers," said Anthony Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. "It paints a rather troubling picture of the misuse⁸ and abuse of the National Security Letters in law enforcement efforts."

Law enforcement officials were quick to acknowledge the mistakes, though they added there was no intentional¹² abuse of power.

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Robert Mueller meets reporters at FBI headquarters in Washington to discuss the gathering of personal information, 9 Mar 2007

FBI Director Robert Mueller says the abuses noted¹⁴ in the report are unacceptable and says corrective measures will be taken immediately to prevent future violations.

"National Security Letters are absolutely essential for us to do our job in protecting the American public against terrorist attacks," he said. "But it is equally important that as we exercise these authorities, we do it consistent with the privacy protections and civil liberties that we in the FBI are sworn to uphold."

The report also found that the FBI was vastly underreporting the number of National Security Letters it sought in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The report says FBI investigators¹⁵ often made improper⁶ requests for personal information from private companies in the course of investigations.

Democrats¹⁶ in Congress seized on the Justice Department report as evidence that the Bush administration is not doing an adequate job of protecting civil liberties, a charge often rebuffed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

Civil liberties advocates are expected to urge Congress to force investigators to adhere to the law when using the tools provided in the Patriot Act.

"We need to go back to the situation where we were before the Patriot Act and limit these very powerful tools to situations in which the government is actually tracking suspected terrorists or spies," said Cindy Cohn, legal director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which describes itself as a private group working to protect the digital rights of all Americans.

Democrats vowed¹⁷ to hold the Bush administration accountable for protecting civil liberties after they won control of Congress last November. Already, two House committees have announced they will hold hearings on the FBI violations.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

4 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

5 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

6 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

7 improperly   

不正确地，不适当地

参考例句：

• Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！
• He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

8 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

9 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

11 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

12 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

13 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。