Walter Pincus: "The Bush administration plans to screen thousands of people who work with charities and nonprofit organizations that receive U.S. Agency for International Development funds to ensure they are not connected with individuals or groups associated with terrorism, according to a recent Federal Register notice. The plan would require the organizations to give the government detailed information about key personnel, including phone numbers, birth dates and e-mail addresses. But the government plans to shroud its use of that information in secrecy and does not intend to tell groups deemed unacceptable why they are rejected. The plan has aroused concern and debate among some of the larger U.S. charitable organizations and recipients of AID funding. Officials of InterAction, representing 165 foreign aid groups, said last week that the plan would impose undue burdens and has no statutory basis. The organization requested that it be withdrawn." Hint of intimidation? hard to understand what's going on here. The Bush administration didn't manage to vet out blood diamonds dealer Viktor Bout from its ammo and logistics suppliers and it's worried about USAID charities? Fine but shouldn't it start with all those folks contracting with DOD who um have security clearances to screen gov't threats and are now headed to jail? Like Mitch Wade? Who scratched the backs of the now disappeared guys running the Pentagon domestic spying programs inside the DoD/CIFA?

Update: The Washington Institute's Matthew Leavitt writes why he supports the policy.

Posted by Laura at August 23, 2007 12:22 AM