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WASHINGTON - Attorney General John Ashcroft launched another defense of the USA Patriot Act yesterday, echoing President Bush's claims that the law that gave federal agents more latitude to spy on U.S. citizens and foreigners has made Americans safer. During a news conference on Capitol Hill, Ashcroft waved a Justice Department report he said proved the law's most controversial provisions should be renewed before they expire in December 2005. He said the law has led to the arrest of suspected child pornographers and computer hackers. Passed hurriedly by Congress after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Patriot Act significantly expanded the power of U.S. law enforcement by allowing the FBI and CIA to share evidence. The act also gave terrorism investigators access to evidence-gathering tools that agents in criminal inquiries have used for years. But civil libertarians and conservative Republicans say the law needs to be reworked to provide more oversight by judges of its provisions that make it easier for investigators to search for and seize evidence. Ashcroft's defense of the law came a week after House Republicans narrowly defeated a measure that would have limited the FBI's ability to obtain public library records. Since his State of the Union address in January, Bush has portrayed the Patriot Act as a linchpin in his antiterrorism efforts, and he has insisted that Congress renew 16 provisions that will expire next year. Related Article: Ashcroft: Tougher Patriot Act needed
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