Farhana Khera : Patriot Act allows federal government to spy on innocent Americans . For 10 years , she says , FBI has targeted citizens based on race , faith , and politics . But we do know that , according to one former senior FBI counterterrorism official , the FBI conducted nearly 500,000 interviews of Muslim and Arab males from 2001-2005 , and not a single one of those interviews led to information that would have allowed the government to detect or prevent the 9/11 attacks . Khera : The Patriot Act is the most extreme example of what can happen when you give too much power to an unaccountable bureaucracy. Act erodes freedoms , sows fear and mistrust , and needs to be changed , she says .
Farhana Khera : Patriot Act allows federal government to spy on innocent Americans . For 10 years , she says , FBI has targeted citizens based on race , faith , and politics . Khera : The Patriot Act is the most extreme example of what can happen when you give too much power to an unaccountable bureaucracy. Act erodes freedoms , sows fear and mistrust , and needs to be changed , she says .