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Patriot Act Needed to Prevent Attacks, Gonzales Says By Joe Fiorill WASHINGTON — The United States must maintain new powers under a controversial 2001 law in order to help foil al-Qaeda’s plan to carry out an attack that would be worse than those of Sept. 11, 2001, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said here today (see GSN, March 2). The USA Patriot Act, which expands certain powers of law enforcement agencies such as the FBI in cases related to terrorism and immigration, has drawn fire from civil libertarians and faces a reauthorization battle this year in Congress. In defending the act today at a National Association of Counties meeting, Gonzales devoted considerable time to discussing al-Qaeda’s alleged intent to carry out massive new attacks on the United States. The terrorist group believes “it is legitimate to kill all” Americans, Gonzales said, citing the words of an unnamed senior al-Qaeda member. The United States must not give in to the temptation to view the 2001 attacks as an isolated event, Gonzales said. “Based on the intelligence that we have collected, we know that our enemies do not view Sept. 11 that way,” he said. “They remember, and they want to do worse.” Gonzales dismissed critics’ charges that the law has led to violations of civil liberties. “There has not been one verified civil rights abuse under the Patriot Act,” he said, invoking statements by the American Civil Liberties Union and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) indicating they knew of no such abuses. Gonzales asked the gathered county officials for suggestions for improving the act, but added, “I will not support changes that would make America more vulnerable to terrorist attacks.” President George W. Bush used Gonzales’ swearing-in ceremony last month to express his own continued support for the act.
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