WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- The FBI came under fire at a Tuesday hearing for some of its approaches to combating terrorism.
Senators criticized the bureau for threatening civil liberties with its domestic surveillance programs and for shoddy progress on upgrading its information technology infrastructure, National Journal's Technology Daily reported.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, said the FBI's participation in domestic spying had been at the expense of the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. citizens.
A recent report by Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine revealed that several FBI agents tapped the wrong telephones, accessed the wrong e-mails or continued to listen to conversations a year after warrants had expired. "All of this should concern all who value privacy rights and the free exchange of ideas in our society," Leahy said.
The Office of the Inspector General currently is reviewing allegations of civil rights and civil liberties abuses by the FBI, including possible intelligence violations forwarded to the president's Intelligence Oversight Board and the FBI's use of special secret subpoenas, Technology Daily said.
"To assist in these challenges, the OIG will continue to attempt to conduct vigorous oversight of FBI programs and provide recommendations for improvement," Fine said.
Though agency officials lauded the FBI for addressing its weaknesses, all agreed that much more work is necessary to keep America secure while safeguarding civil rights, the report said.
