Originally published February 4 2006
Bush declares more eavesdropping will follow in spite of present controversy surrounding his secret program
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
At a White House news conference, President Bush said that he will continue to authorize eavesdropping and spying within the United States, as measures necessary to defend against the actions of terrorists.
At a year-end White House news conference he faced a barrage of questions about his decision to authorize eavesdropping on international telephone and other communication by Americans suspected of links to al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
"As president of the United States and commander in chief I have the constitutional responsibility and the constitutional authority to protect our country," he said.
Several Republican and Democratic lawmakers have backed plans by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, to hold a hearing on the issue.
Many have questioned whether spying on Americans violates the U.S. Constitution.
The spying program, under which the National Security Agency was given the authority to intercept the communications without court approval, was first disclosed by the New York Times last Friday.
A 1978 law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, makes it illegal to spy on U.S. citizens in the United States without court approval.
I presume that process is moving forward," Bush said.
"My personal opinion is it was a shameful act for someone to disclose this very important program in a time of war."
"I've reauthorized this program more than 30 times since September the 11th attacks, and I intend to do so for so long as the nation faces the continuing threat of an enemy that wants to kill our American citizens," he declared.
Bush noted that he had sworn to uphold the law.
"Do I have the legal authority to do this?
On Iraq, Bush pointed to the country's election last Thursday as a sign of progress in the war, which is costing taxpayers $6 billion a month and in which more than 2,100 U.S. troops have died.
"It wasn't a mistake to go into Iraq," he said.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml