US prosecutors said on Tuesday that domestic terrorism investigations could be seriously hampered if Congress allowed sections of the controversial Patriot Act to expire as scheduled in 2005. The Senate judiciary committee launched the first of a series of hearings to consider whether the act should be extended, despite growing complaints that it may infringe unnecessarily on US civil liberties. The fear that Congress may not renew the act has prompted John Ashcroft, the attorney-general, to launch a public campaign defending the law as critical to the war on terrorism. While the administration has backed away from plans to seek even broader investigative powers, President George W. Bush proposed some measures last month to strengthen the act. Full Story
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