Home
Newsletter
Events
Blogs
Reports
Graphics
RSS
About Us
Support
Write for Us
Media Info
Advertising Info
Domestic spying

Poll: Many Americans think government's terrorism investigations are violating privacy rights

Saturday, December 16, 2006 by: Ben Kage
Tags: domestic spying, homeland security, Bush administration


Most Viewed Articles
https://www.naturalnews.com/021310_domestic_spying_homeland_security.html
Delicious
diaspora
Print
Email
Share

(NewsTarget) According to a poll released Tuesday by the Washington Post and ABC News, two thirds of Americans feel the FBI and other federal agencies are stepping on citizens' right to privacy in the course of investigating terrorism.

The survey randomly polled 1,005 Americans between Dec. 7 and Monday, giving results with a 3-percentage-point margin of error.

Of those asked, 66 percent felt that the FBI and other, similar agencies were intruding on some American's rights to privacy during their investigations, compared to 58 percent in a September 2003 poll. Compared to earlier polls, the respondents were less likely to report that they felt the government was adequately protecting the right to privacy as it investigated terrorism. For example, twice as many respondents said the need to investigate terrorism is less important than the right to privacy than respondents to a June 2002 survey. The 2006 poll found that nearly two thirds of respondents still feel the reverse is true, but that number is down from 79 percent in 2002.

Half of those surveyed were asked if they felt that Congressional hearings should be held concerning the way the Bush administration has handled terrorism related issues such as surveillance and detainees. Fifty-two percent responded that such hearing should be held.

"I don't think you can view these polling results in isolation from an overall phenomenon, which is that people are more skeptical of the government's conduct of the war on terrorism," said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert and professor in Georgetown University's Security Studies Program.

Hoffman said the results could be a blow to government agencies seeking support for their post-Sept.-11 antiterrorism powers. Only 51 percent of the respondents reported that they felt the government's intrusive tactics were justified, down 12 percent from 2003.

###


Receive Our Free Email Newsletter

Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.


comments powered by Disqus



Natural News Wire (Sponsored Content)

Science.News
Science News & Studies
Medicine.News
Medicine News and Information
Food.News
Food News & Studies
Health.News
Health News & Studies
Herbs.News
Herbs News & Information
Pollution.News
Pollution News & Studies
Cancer.News
Cancer News & Studies
Climate.News
Climate News & Studies
Survival.News
Survival News & Information
Gear.News
Gear News & Information
Glitch.News
News covering technology, stocks, hackers, and more