Mark 9/11 Anniversary by Targeting Terrorists Overseas While Respecting Liberties at Home, Says Bob Barr

“Seven years have passed since the horrid terrorist attacks of 9/11," says Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party nominee for President. "The U.S. government can best mark the anniversary by continuing to target groups which threaten Americans, but also by respecting the liberties upon which our nation is based."

“The Bush administration deserves credit for having done much to disable al Qaeda as an effective terrorist organization,” Barr says. “However, early on, the administration took its eye off of the ball when it shifted troops from searching for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan to use in the unnecessary war in Iraq. Now, the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating badly,” adds Barr.

“Moreover, the Bush administration engaged in a sustained attack on the liberty and privacy of Americans in the name of combating terrorism. It drafted the Patriot Act, which provided the federal government with powers well beyond those necessary to confront potential terrorists, and it initiated an illegal surveillance program of telephone calls and emails, ignoring both the Constitution and the law,” Barr explains.

“Obviously, the federal government has a responsibility to protect Americans from terrorist threats,” Barr notes. “However, equally fundamental is the government’s responsibility to respect the liberties which the federal government is tasked to protect. If we sacrifice those basic freedoms, then truly the terrorists have won,” Barr says.

“As president, I will focus U.S. law enforcement and military efforts on terrorists who have targeted Americans. I will not allow my administration to be sidetracked by unnecessary wars and interventions, such as in Iraq,” explains Barr. “As for Iraq, I will quickly withdraw U.S. troops, leaving Iraqis in control of their own destinies.”

“At home, I will restore the Constitution as the guide for U.S. policy,” insists Barr. “The government must combat those who wish Americans ill, but it must act within the law, ensuring accountability for U.S. officials. That means appropriate limits on and oversight of all surveillance, arrests, trials and imprisonment. Never can we forget that the American government is one of laws, not of men,” Barr concludes.

“The attacks of 9/11 leave us with great responsibility for the future. We must defend Americans from those outside who threaten violence. We also must defend Americans from those at home who would sacrifice our liberties,” says Barr.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
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