2,370 warrant requests granted in 2007, up 9% from 2006, to search or eavesdrop on suspected terrorists and spies in the U.S. 

9,254 national security letters issued in 2005; 12,583 in 2006 (data for 2007 is not yet available). Such letters request information like your bank account details and telephone usage, but do not rely on a court order and are issued without informing the person spied upon.

Meanwhile, prosecutions for terror related matters brought to court have continued to decline.No doubt some would say we should continue to trust this government, confident that shielded by secrecy, they have grown tired of abusing their position and now are acting competently and sensibly in raising surveillance levels… or maybe not:

“The Senate Intelligence Committee last week concluded that the bureau was far behind in making internal changes to keep the nation safe from terrorist threats. Lawmakers urged that the FBI set specific benchmarks to measure its progress and make more regular reports to Congress.”  

In any case, I continue to believe that open transparent processes (which includes court approved surveillance) that ensure those who abuse civil liberties are held responsible better protect our values, freedom and safety than administrative processes such as letters of request, and unanswerable bureaucrats whose chief response to criticism is fear-mongering.

Source for all the material here: Richard B. Schmitt, LA Times,  12 May 2008