Surveillance law allows US to gather information about Russian atrocities in Ukraine – US Justice official

The United States government has gained "vitally important" intelligence about the war in Ukraine from a surveillance law that allows the government to collect foreign communications without a warrant.

Source: CNN, citing US Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco

Quote from Lisa Monaco: "When it comes to this conflict and what Russia is doing in Ukraine, it has proved vitally important," Monaco said to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Section 702 "has helped us uncover gruesome atrocities in Ukraine, including the murder of noncombatants, the forced relocation of children from Russian-occupied Ukraine to Russia, and the detention of refugees fleeing violence by Russian personnel."

Details: CNN reported that the law, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, enables the US government to obtain intelligence by targeting non-Americans overseas who are using US-based communications services.

Monaco's comments come amid an "ongoing battle" over whether to reauthorise the law, which is set to expire at the end of 2023. The law has previously garnered bipartisan backing, although that support has frayed over the past several years over scrutiny for alleged misuse.

Monaco said losing Section 702 would hamper the department's efforts to hold Russia accountable.

She also raised concerns that there are other areas where the Justice Department lacks the resources or the authority to take stronger action against Russia.

She emphasised that while the department has "active investigations" into crimes perpetrated in the war and those cases "are moving just as fast as we can possibly move them."

"We cannot – and we will not – let war criminals escape accountability for the aggression and atrocities they have committed in Ukraine," she added.

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