2007年VOA标准英语-FBI Director Defends Anti-Terror Tool, Assures

By Dan Robinson
Washington
26 July 2007

FBI Director Robert Mueller has urged the U.S. Congress not to weaken a key legal tool that law enforcement authorities have been using since September 11, 2001 in their efforts to prevent new terrorist attacks. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill.

In his first appearance this year before a Democrat-controlled House Judiciary Committee, Director Mueller was pressed on a range of issues, including FBI reforms, the recent National Intelligence Estimate on terrorist threats, and congressional concerns about tactics used in the anti-terror fight.

Since the September 11, 2001 al-Qaida attacks in the United States, Mueller says the FBI has conducted thousands of investigations¹, involving persons he describes as being in some way associated with various Shia or Sunni terrorist groups, as well as funding and radicalization of potential terrorists.

Mueller was asked about the recent government intelligence report on al-Qaida capabilities². "For the next three years we face a threat of terrorist attack. In part it is attributable to the understanding [of] persons affiliated³, associated with al-Qaida that it is important to try to find individuals who can circumvent⁴ our border security and come into the United States much the way the 19 hijackers did prior to September 11. They have since September 11 not for one instant given up the hope and the efforts to try to infiltrate⁵ persons into the United States to undertake attacks," he said.

One of the most controversial tools the FBI has used for decades is the National Security Letter, a form of subpoena⁶ used to demand that private records and communications be turned over to authorities from individuals.

In approving the Patriot⁷ Act law in 2001, Congress expanded the scope of National Security Letters, which have also been used by other government agencies, to cover residents of the U.S. or visitors.

But a recent internal FBI audit⁸ found that some FBI agents violated rules governing National Security Letters (N.S.L.), although the audit found no evidence of intentional⁹ violations¹⁰ by FBI agents.

Judiciary chairman John Conyers described the matter as an unfortunate chapter for the FBI. "There are those in the Congress that begin to question the continued giving of the FBI this broad NSL authority in light of the findings, not only from the inspector¹¹ general's report but from the FBI's own internal audit, that the bureau has systemic difficulties in limiting National Security Letters to appropriate uses," he said.

Referring to recent terrorist investigations in Britain, information from which also went to U.S. authorities tracking potential terrorists, Mueller says National Security Letters remain a crucial part of an across the board anti-terror effort.

He sought to assure lawmakers about FBI reforms designed to prevent abuses. "What we did not have in place which we should have had in place is a compliance¹² program, to assure that the procedures we had were being followed across the field and that our data bases were accurate and up-to-date. We did not have that. We have put that in place," he said.

Despite these assurances, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has introduced legislation aimed at tightening¹³ law governing National Security Letters and strengthening legal protections for those affected¹⁴ by them.

The legislation is supported by a number of civil liberties organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

 

"The NSL statute¹⁵ has long been in need of repair. This bill will re-align NSL authorities with the Constitution, and reaffirm that Americans can be both safe and free," said Michelle Richardson is with the ACLU Washington office.

Among other things, the proposed legislation would restore a standard requiring the government to show that a National Security Letter relates to a suspected terrorist or spy, give the recipient¹⁶ of such a letter the right to challenge it, and limit the duration of the government's right to prevent a recipient from disclosing that they received the letter.

1 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。

2 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

3 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

4 circumvent   

vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜

参考例句：

• Military planners tried to circumvent the treaty.军事策略家们企图绕开这一条约。
• Any action I took to circumvent his scheme was justified.我为斗赢他的如意算盘而采取的任何行动都是正当的。

5 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

6 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

7 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。

8 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

9 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。

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 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。

12 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

13 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

14 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

15 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

16 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。