The Snowden Effect
 

The FISA court will release more opinions because of Snowden

By Brian Fung, Published: September 13 at 2:49 pm

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...m_business_pop

Citing the former NSA contractor, a federal judge has ordered the government to declassify more reports from the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

In an opinion from the FISC itself, Judge F. Dennis Saylor on Friday told the White House to declassify all the legal opinions relating to Section 215 of the Patriot Act written after May 2011 that aren't already the subject of FOIA litigation.

The court ruled that the White House must identify the opinions in question by Oct. 4.

"The unauthorized disclosure of in June 2013 of a Section 215 order, and government statements in response to that disclosure, have engendered considerable public interest and debate about Section 215," wrote Saylor. "Publication of FISC opinions relating to this opinion would contribute to an informed debate."

After being increasingly seen as more or less a rubber stamp for the government, FISC is trying to build up its "legitimacy" in the eyes of those it considers to matter over the longer term. This is a gesture to that end.

FISC has neither the means nor the will to provide effective oversight of US spying programs and other related "security" operations; and this reality isn't going to change anytime soon.

FISC will continue to be a sort of rubber stamp for the government.

It is time for FISC to be terminated, with prejudice.