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US Security Agencies may Search through US Citizen Mail

A signed statement by the American President, George W. Bush, may pave the way for a situation in which US Agencies will be able to open US citizen`s personal mail, without obtaining a court order. Currently, when various agencies were interested in opening mail addressed to US citizens, they had to receive special clearance from the court system. Last month, President Bush released a signed statement attached to a mail bill, which stipulated that in emergency situations agencies may be permitted to go through mail without a court order.

Civil liberty organizations slammed the plans saying the move is constitutes an unconstitutional infringement of civil liberties. These organizations plan to petition the government fir information regarding the procedures that will be taken regarding emergency situations and whether any of these searches has already been conducted and under what circumstances. "Every American wants foolproof protection against terrorism," Said Senator Charles Schumer. "But history has shown it can and should be done within the confines of the Constitution. This last-minute, irregular and unauthorized reinterpretation of a duly passed law is the exact type of maneuver that voters so resoundingly rejected in November."

"All this is saying is that there are provisions at law for - in exigent circumstances - for such inspections. This is not a change in law, this is not new," said White House Spokesman Tony Snow on Thursday. The US Postal Service said that the President hasn`t changed policies and added that nothing in the US Postal service has changed.