Bush approved eavesdropping, official says (AP) Updated: 2005-12-17 09:31
President Bush has personally authorized a secretive eavesdropping program in
the United States more than three dozen times since October 2001, a senior
intelligence official told The Associated Press Friday night.
The disclosure follows angry demands by lawmakers earlier in the day for a
congressional inquiry into whether the monitoring by the highly secretive
National Security Agency violated civil liberties.
"There is no doubt that this is inappropriate," declared Republican Sen.
Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record) of Pennsylvania, chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee. He promised hearings early next year.
In a broad defense of the program put forward hours later, a senior
intelligence official said the eavesdropping was narrowly designed to go after
possible terrorist threats in the United States.
The official said that, since October 2001, authorization for the program has
been renewed more than three dozen times. On each occasion, the lawfulness of
the program is certified by the president's legal counsel and the attorney
general. It is then personally signed by Bush.
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