New spying guidelines proposed

2008-08-16 12:16

Washington - The administration of US President George W Bush has drafted a set of guidelines for state and local police agencies that would make it easier to collect intelligence on ordinary citizens, The Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The newspaper said the proposal, prepared by the Justice Department, allows law enforcement agencies to launch a criminal intelligence investigation based on the suspicion that a person or a group is engaged in terrorism or providing material support to terrorists.

According to the report, local police would share results of their investigations with the federal government.

Under the proposal, intelligence information could be obtained from public records, the internet, law enforcement databases and confidential and undercover sources.

The rules would apply to the nation's 18 000 state and local police agencies that would receive about $1.6bn a year to help cover the costs of their implementation.

- AFP