U.S. Covert Operations

I am amazed and appalled by the U.S. government’s claim of worldwide FBI jurisdiction. Knowing that there can be no legal basis for such claim in light of other nations’ sovereignties, our government has refused to reveal the basis of its claim. Any self-respecting sovereign state can be expected to oppose what any civilized system of law defines as kidnaping within its borders. If there can be any doubt about this, imagine what the reaction of the Bush government would be were the Soviets to make such a claim for the KGB, their equivalent agency.

Along similar lines, efforts to constitutionally repeal First Amendment rights, such as the move to amend the Constitution to provide for lese-majeste laws in the guise of protecting the honor of the flag, impugn and threaten our constitutional framework of liberty. Supporters of such proposals should be recognized as enemies of liberty. Those who have collaborated with such enemies by enacting obviously unconstitutional statutes of a similar nature have shown a profound contempt for our rights and have betrayed their oaths to uphold the Constitution.

JOHN P. TESCHKE

Long Beach