And what if there simply are no terrorists to find? The government is violating our privacy, our civil rights, our legal rights, and squandering billions of dollars on an unproven assumption that the country is crawling with foreign terrorists just waiting for their big moment to strike. It certainly demonstrates beyond any plausible doubt that the Bush administration has NEVER understood how and why 9/11 happened and has no interest in learning anything whatsoever about the culture, politics, or beliefs of those who oppose our grand incursions and interferences in the Middle East, and thus, in their minds, every Muslim is a terrorist who does not enthusiastically support the government's policies and practices, most of which are inimicable to the interests of Muslim countries abroad.

This new data mining boondoggle is just one more invitation to further Kremlinize and Stassify our country until no private person is free of government surveillance and intrusion, and there is no freedom to defend anymore. We're already halfway there.

This administration has shown, even when they have specific approval or disapproval concerning those things Congress is mandated to oversee, that they will do what they want when they want and how they want. Congress, in most instances before this year, would then give retroactive approval for any actions carried out deceptively and/or illegally.
People in this administration, both officially and unofficially, have acted as if this alleged democratic form of governmental rule is an autocratic form of governmental rule and cannot be trusted to follow constitutional law. They use the usual excuse of "national security" to do watever they want to do.
The fault doesn't lie with the rank and file agents but lies with those giving the orders which the agents have to follow or loose their jobs.
This is where the American people have to speak up and let their members of Congress know that this behavior isn't acceptable. Otherwise, it will continue directly of by another Signing Statement.

Predictive modeling "success" is a statistal game of validating a future occurence based on historical valid data samples. My guess is statical valid samples of historical data are scarce at best due to small data set occurence of event/"suspect" definition.

If the government did spend 12 million on program development, my guess from business modeling experience, there would be hidden costs of man power to chase down "suspects" generated from such a set of evolving models. Not to mention normal data degradation of current/usefulness, and pipelines to feed the models.

I would hope the investigating media/committee staff have researched the question of how does the government validate their model and what defines their target "suspect": event, malicious behavior candidate, etc., and/or something else?

Experience with modeling suggests "suspects" always include "false" reads. Modeling is easy to sell to an idea hungry CEO or Gov. official, but worthless in cost justification/useability if they don't
realisticly look into the details of what they are buying.

In regards to privacy issues which I'm sure the definition of grey area has been rewritten several times, I would think some type of masking of base data could occur, but still would wonder what FISA says when warrant is issued with statiscally invalid/unproven model?

Predictive modeling has its uses elsewhere, but not sure if identifying nuts and terrorists will work. Intentions are usually good, though actual implication is where oversight is needed. good luck!

Regarding Data Mining, I will quote Ben Franklin
"Those who would give up liberty for security, deserve neither."
Ben Franklin

Enough said.

A very wise man once said and I paraphrase " Do not trust the government that does not trust you" First they want our guns, then they ship our jobs overseas. Now they want to give what few jobs are left to immigrants. And just for chuckles they collect all of our information and treat us as if we are traitors or terrorist. Now they want us to trust them.? Yea right.

Yikes!! If there are no terrorists to find, some will be manufactured. We've seen this already. Because as we all know, "It's not a witch hunt it you nail a witch."

What is amazing is that the $12 million proposed for this program represents such an incredibly small portion of our national security shenanigans. As bad as this blatant erosion of our Constitutional rights is, I am more concerned with the many other clandestine 'black ops' neither we nor Congress hear much about. That such exist is a widely documented fact, such as our recently exposed "extraordinary rendition" program or the secret anti-government propaganda campaign our spooks have been running in Iran. Echelon type software has been used for years to spy on Americans, listening for keywords to flag poor saps for ruthless scrutiny, indictment, or possible "disappearance". That Eisenhower warned us of all this 46 years ago is small consolation of his eerily accurate warning "We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

The feds have a team of convicted felons, including retired Admiral John Poindexter, working on an even more insidious system. Building on the TIA program that he designed, the feds moved to a program called ADVISE that is capable of scanning ten terabytes per minute. Data mining on steroids, for the uninitiated. Google "John Poindexter" plus "ADVISE" for more information. Check blog references as well. Turns out they're beta testing in Singapore as I write. Convenient, no?

I think it is time for the American citizens to forget about our democrats and republicans doing a damn thing to protect our democracy , freedom and rights , much less give a d... about our jobs , health , pollution or anything that would upset their donors.
It is time for us to start our own action to take our government back for Global corporation , Oil companies and the wealthy that does not give a d... about the average American.
I remember back a few years ago when the wealthy said it was not right to see an average Joe to be sitting beside them when they took they vacation.
Well I guess they have changed that now. Bush , Cheney , the republicans with the no response from the democrats just do not give a d....

So they plan to use unnproven predictive analysis to find terrorists before they act. Fine if it really worked, but it reminds me quite a bit of Minority Report. Will the next step be to punish those they predict will commit a terrorist act before they act?

Excuse me but what ever happened to that document called the Constitution and the Bill or Rights? Did we lose that somewhere around 9/11? Seems to me that we have a problem Washington.

It seems that our Govt. will stop at nothing to fabricate justification for a defense and law enforcement budget that is just not justifiable. It's a no-brainer that the so called "sleeper cell terrorist" are just fabrications of our own imaginations, but just saying that I guess I would become a person of interest in their coniving minds. We have become a snake feeding on it's own tale in this quest for justifying our failures. America has great minds and endless talent, what a waste to see it spent on such nonsense!!

Isn't Brad miller a Dem from NC. Not California?

We can speak out all we want but the machines in DC will move forward - and do as they please.

AQ knows this. They must also realize that, at least to date, no one in DC or on the political radar to be the next President of the United States has the courage to address any of the issues that AQ has so successfully brought forward.

It seems as if we are destined to end up paying dearly, once again, for the shortsightedness, cowardice, and general stupidity - of politicians and bureaucrats.

As each new story concerning the erosion of the personal rights and privileges of US citizens appears in the press, AQ scores yet again.

If the US is losing to AQ, the US has only itself to blame.

"History time and time again has shown that governments inevitably use such power (of a police state) in harmful ways. The 9/11 commission, whose recomendations underlie this bill (Real ID), has called for internal screening points where identification will be demanded. Domestic travel restrictions are the hallmark of authoritarian states, not free nations. It is just a matter of time until those who refuse to carry the new license will be denied the ability to drive or board an airplane,'- Ron Paul
... be very afraid not of contrived terrorist boogyman but of your government.

I hate to scare you all, but my source who works close with the FBI tells me that they have been data mining American citizens for some time now. It wasn’t until recently that the federal agency felt the necessity to even seek legal authority, or a legitimate budgeting. This coming out of the shadows was motivated not by conscious, but more through growing political and public scrutiny. The legal restrictions on wiretapping US citizens was upheld by the courts. The government’s use of illegal surveillance techniques, or programs angered the public so much it almost guarantees some type of future civil rights ramifications. The collapsing support for a number of government surveillance actions that are by definition prohibited under existing law suddenly left the FBI holding the bag and starring right in the face of possible consequence.

Instead of spending all that money in spying on us, this Administration should use that taxpayer money to build the WALL along the Mexican/U.S. Border. Also, the government should use those funds, to enforce CURRENT IMMIGRATION LAWS. We do not need another DISASTER OF A BILL LIKE THE 1986, WE NEED TO VIGOROUSLY ENFORCE CURRENT IMMIGRATION LAWS. WE DO NOT NEED AN ADDITIONAL 12 MILLION ILLEGALS PLUS THEIR FAMILIES AVERAGING A SPOUSE PLUS A MINIMUM OF 2-5 CHILDREN PER ILLEGAL HOUSEHOLD. WHICH WOULD ADD anywhere FROM 12 to 80 MILLION ILLEGAL ALIENS TO A WORKFORCE. OUR TEENAGERS COULD NOT FIND SUMMER JOBS THIS YEAR BECAUSE ALL THE JOBS ARE TAKEN BY ILLEGALS WHO DO NOT EVEN SPEAK THE LANGUAGE. WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THIS ADMINISTRATIONS GIVING AWAY OUR CHILDREN'S LIVES, OUR TAXES MONEY AND OUR COUNTRY!

If we Americans continue to debate minor issues in this era when fiercely dedictaed factions major in devicing how to not beat -- but literally destroy us -- we will go down like those opposing steam engines in the Industrial Revolution. We must change our thinking, get out of our comfort zones, and think in sole terms of survival. Oh, the presumption that we're giving up "person privacy" is a myth. We've never truly had it.

Let the FBI do its job. My fellow Americans seem to forget 3000 of my neighbors who were murdered on 911.

I have a suggestion on how to fix government and get back to our constitution.
FIRE every politician from dog catcher on up. Let them stay in office until they can be replaced but with the knowledge they could go to prison (And not a country club)for any wrongdoing until replaced.
Do not allow attorneys, physicians, insurance affiliates or anyone with connections to ANY corporation or anyone who has held public office above dog catcher!

The FBI has always been an Americanized version of the Gestapo and will be until the day that the American people decide that they have taken enough abuse from it and abolish the damn thing. The Palmer Raids of the early 20's, COINTELPRO (which still goes on in the modern day), and the myriad other crimes that the FBI perpetrates behind the seen with Congresses tacit approval have set the FBI for head on confrontation with Americans somewhere down the road. It's inevitable.

Maybe it's not about terrorism at all. Maybe it's about the last link the US has with the world economy - intellectual property, with the benefit of censorship (its constant partner) thrown in for good measure. Everyone with a pulse has IP-infringing matter on their laptop. The entertainment industry would have every teenager and most of the rest of us imprisoned if it helped to maintain their anti-creativity monopoly. Follow the links and arrive at the new "Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement". Enjoy.