THE QUESTION

Should governments around the world be allowed to monitor financial transactions to identify terrorists? If the press learns secrets about these anti-terrorist surveillance programs, should they publish them?

Posted by David Ignatius on June 27, 2006 10:00 PM

FROM THE PANEL

Bill Emmott is the former editor of The Economist magazine, a leading international current affairs publication from England. He is now an independent writer, speaker, and consultant on international affairs.

Bravo to the New York Times!

England -- If, during my time as Editor of The Economist, we had got the story of America's secret monitoring of financial transactions I would certainly have published it. And I would have condemned wholeheartedly any denunciations by the White...

Bill Emmott Great Britain | 4 COMMENTS
Jun 28, 2006 at 8:00 AM
Michael Young is the Opinion Editor and a columnist for Lebanon’s The Daily Star newspaper. He is also a contributing editor and contributor at Reason magazine, where he writes bi-weely articles.

I'm No Terrorist

Tighten how financial transactions can be monitored, assure privacy where there is reasonable doubt of innocence and applaud the New York Times. Terrorists may have once been impeded by blanket monitoring, but now honest depositors like me are paying the...

Michael Young Beirut, Lebanon | 0 COMMENTS
Jun 28, 2006 at 7:45 AM
Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff is a Senior Director at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a transatlantic public policy and grant-making foundation. He overseas the fund's policy programs. He was previously the Washington bureau chief of the German newsweekly, Die Zeit.

My Data Are Mine

Germany -- To tell Americans that they enjoy lots of personal freedoms is not terribly original, but Americans love it when you tell them so. It also happens to be true....

Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff Germany | 3 COMMENTS
Jun 28, 2006 at 7:30 AM

Pursue Criminals, Not the NYT

China -- The United States has been pushing countries such as China to monitor bank transactions. That focus on money-laundering makes sense. But the news media are part of the checks and balances in the American system. If that makes...

Wang Shuo | 2 COMMENTS
Jun 28, 2006 at 7:00 AM

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