r.g.
2005-12-16 18:21:57 UTC
Report: Bush authorized NSA to spy on Americans
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON High-level administration figures, reacting to a report
that the National Security Agency eavesdropped without warrants on
people inside the United States, asserted Friday that President Bush
has respected the Constitution while striving to protect the American
people.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said Bush has "acted lawfully in
every step that he has taken." His top spokesman, Scott McClellan,
said that Bush "is going to remain fully committed to upholding our
Constitution and protect the civil liberties of the American people.
And he has done both." But neither Rice nor McClellan would confirm or
deny a New York Times report saying the super-secret NSA had spied on
as many as 500 people inside the United States at any given time since
2002.
That year, following the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush authorized the NSA to
monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of
hundreds perhaps thousands of people inside the United States, the
Times reported.
Before the program began, the NSA typically limited its domestic
surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court
orders for such investigations. Overseas, 5,000 to 7,000 people
suspected of terrorist ties are monitored at one time...
The Times said reporters interviewed nearly a dozen current and former
administration officials about the program and granted them anonymity
because of the classified nature of the program. Some NSA officials
were so concerned about the legality of the program that they refused
to participate, the Times said. Questions about the legality of the
program led the administration to temporarily suspend it last year and
impose new restrictions.
Asked about this Friday morning on NBC's "Today" show, Rice said, "I'm
not going to comment on intelligence matters." McClellan, too,
declined to comment directly on the report, saying only that the
administration upholds and respects the civil liberties of all
Americans.
Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of
the American Civil Liberties Union, said the group's initial reaction
to the NSA disclosure was "shock that the administration has gone so
far in violating American civil liberties to the extent where it seems
to be a violation of federal law." Asked about the administration's
contention that the eavesdropping has disrupted terrorist attacks,
Fredrickson said the ACLU couldn't comment until it sees some
evidence. "They've veiled these powers in secrecy so there's no way
for Congress or any independent organizations to exercise any
oversight."
Earlier this week, the Pentagon said it was reviewing its use of a
classified database of information about suspicious people and
activity inside the United States after a report by NBC News said the
database listed activities of anti-war groups that were not a security
threat to Pentagon property or personnel. Pentagon spokesmen declined
to discuss the matter on the record but issued a written statement
Wednesday evening that implied but did not explicitly acknowledge
that some information had been handled improperly...
The Times said it delayed publication of the report for a year because
the White House said it could jeopardize continuing investigations and
alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. The Times
said it omitted information from the story that administration
officials argued could be useful to terrorists.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON High-level administration figures, reacting to a report
that the National Security Agency eavesdropped without warrants on
people inside the United States, asserted Friday that President Bush
has respected the Constitution while striving to protect the American
people.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said Bush has "acted lawfully in
every step that he has taken." His top spokesman, Scott McClellan,
said that Bush "is going to remain fully committed to upholding our
Constitution and protect the civil liberties of the American people.
And he has done both." But neither Rice nor McClellan would confirm or
deny a New York Times report saying the super-secret NSA had spied on
as many as 500 people inside the United States at any given time since
2002.
That year, following the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush authorized the NSA to
monitor the international phone calls and international e-mails of
hundreds perhaps thousands of people inside the United States, the
Times reported.
Before the program began, the NSA typically limited its domestic
surveillance to foreign embassies and missions and obtained court
orders for such investigations. Overseas, 5,000 to 7,000 people
suspected of terrorist ties are monitored at one time...
The Times said reporters interviewed nearly a dozen current and former
administration officials about the program and granted them anonymity
because of the classified nature of the program. Some NSA officials
were so concerned about the legality of the program that they refused
to participate, the Times said. Questions about the legality of the
program led the administration to temporarily suspend it last year and
impose new restrictions.
Asked about this Friday morning on NBC's "Today" show, Rice said, "I'm
not going to comment on intelligence matters." McClellan, too,
declined to comment directly on the report, saying only that the
administration upholds and respects the civil liberties of all
Americans.
Caroline Fredrickson, director of the Washington legislative office of
the American Civil Liberties Union, said the group's initial reaction
to the NSA disclosure was "shock that the administration has gone so
far in violating American civil liberties to the extent where it seems
to be a violation of federal law." Asked about the administration's
contention that the eavesdropping has disrupted terrorist attacks,
Fredrickson said the ACLU couldn't comment until it sees some
evidence. "They've veiled these powers in secrecy so there's no way
for Congress or any independent organizations to exercise any
oversight."
Earlier this week, the Pentagon said it was reviewing its use of a
classified database of information about suspicious people and
activity inside the United States after a report by NBC News said the
database listed activities of anti-war groups that were not a security
threat to Pentagon property or personnel. Pentagon spokesmen declined
to discuss the matter on the record but issued a written statement
Wednesday evening that implied but did not explicitly acknowledge
that some information had been handled improperly...
The Times said it delayed publication of the report for a year because
the White House said it could jeopardize continuing investigations and
alert would-be terrorists that they might be under scrutiny. The Times
said it omitted information from the story that administration
officials argued could be useful to terrorists.