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Bush defends eavesdropping
17/12/2005 18:57 - (SA)
Washington - President George W Bush said on Saturday he personally has authorised a secret eavesdropping programme in the US more than 30 times since the Sept 11 attacks and he lashed out at those involved in publicly revealing the programme.
"This is a highly classified programme that is crucial to our national security," he said in a radio address delivered live from the White House's Roosevelt Room.
"This authorisation is a vital tool in our war against the terrorists. It is critical to saving American lives. The American people expect me to do everything in my power, under our laws and Constitution, to protect them and their civil liberties and that is exactly what I will continue to do as long as I am president of the United States," Bush said.
Angry members of Congress have demanded an explanation of the programme, first revealed in Friday's New York Times, and whether the monitoring by the National Security Agency violates civil liberties.
Defending the programme, Bush said in his address that it is used only to intercept the international communications of people inside the United States who have been determined to have "a clear link" to al-Qaida or related terrorist organisations.
He said the programme is reviewed every 45 days, using fresh threat assessments, legal reviews by the Justice Department, White House counsel and others, and information from previous activities under the programme.
Without identifying specific lawmakers, Bush said congressional leaders have been briefed more than a dozen times on the programme's activities.
The president also said the intelligence officials involved in the monitoring receive extensive training to make sure civil liberties are not violated.
Appearing angry at times during his eight-minute address, Bush left no doubt that he will continue authorising the programme.
"I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al-Qaida and related groups," he said.
- AP
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