Weigh security with privacy rights carefully ; The war against terror 
requires changes, but a few things may be overkill.

Editorial
03 August 2003
Portland Press Herald
4C

Amid news that John Poindexter is resigning from his Pentagon post, 
lawmakers are challenging provisions of the Patriot Act and the government 
is planning a new way to screen airline passengers, the United States should 
examine carefully whether some anti- terrorism measures make sense.

There's growing concern that the government has been given too much freedom 
- and is taking away too much from its citizens - to fight the war against 
terrorism. While special security measures are common during times of war, 
it's questionable whether some of the current and proposed measures are 
necessary or effective.

Poindexter's resignation came after lawmakers rightly protested a project he 
headed that would have created a futures market on political events and 
terrorism in the Middle East. The system was meant to help the Department of 
Defense predict violence in the region, but was rightly criticized as 
grotesque.

Poindexter also headed the Terrorism Information Awareness project, a 
complex computer system that searches databases for transactional records 
such as travel plans, credit card purchases and medical records to hunt for 
terrorists. The TIA plan was criticized as too invasive and Congress voted 
to temporarily prohibit its use on American citizens.

In the wake of a 900-page report that details the failure of government 
agencies to act on information it already had, one begins to wonder if the 
feds need or could handle more.

Last week, the House passed a measure that repeals federal power for 
unannounced searches of homes and businesses, which was authorized in the 
USA Patriot Act in the days following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Now, the government is testing a new system to check the personal 
information of every airline passenger when they make a reservation.

Proponents say it's likely to reduce security hassles for passengers. Still, 
organized terrorists are likely to find ways to beat the system. Will the 
government then adopt tougher, more invasive measures? It's difficult to 
know when enough will be enough.

As lawmakers mull enhanced security, they also should carefully consider 
whether the government is using the information it already has effectively. 
They also should consider how security measures balance with the privacy and 
the constitutional rights of American citizens.