F.B.I. Given Broad Authority to Monitor the Public
The Justice Department sharply eased restrictions on domestic spying Thursday, handing the FBI broad, new authority to monitor Internet sites, libraries, churches and political organizations for clues to terrorist plots.

The changes were announced by Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Ashcroft, claiming FBI agents in the field have been hampered by a range of bureaucratic restrictions, said the new guidelines would help them to do their jobs.

``These restrictions are a competitive advantage for terrorists,'' Ashcroft said of existing rules.

He said, for instance, that under present guidelines, FBI agents ``cannot surf the Web, the way you and I can,'' and cannot simply walk into public events to observe people and activities.

Mueller said the changes ``will be exceptionally helpful to us.''

``Our reforms of the FBI will and must strengthen our ability to prevent future terrorist attacks,'' the FBI director said.

But the American Civil Liberties Union criticized the loosening of restrictions on domestic spying, saying they could roll back protections and renew abuses of the past.

Under existing rules, FBI agents are not allowed to do general research on the Internet or at public libraries unless the information sought directly relates to a current investigation or to leads being checked out.

The new policy, which does not require congressional approval, removes these obstacles.

Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington national office, said that by easing the restrictions, ``the government is rewarding failure.''

``When the government fails -- as it increasingly appears to have done before Sept. 11 -- the Bush administration's response is to give itself new powers rather than seriously investigating why the failures occurred,'' she said.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-FBI-Reorganizing.html