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| Terror Networks |
| Bush Kicks Asses; Takes Names |
| 2005-12-17 |
| President Bush said Saturday he personally has authorized a secret eavesdropping program in the U.S. more than 30 times since the Sept. 11 attacks and he lashed out at those involved in publicly revealing the program. "This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security," he said in a radio address delivered live from the White House's Roosevelt Room. "This authorization 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 program, first revealed in Friday's New York Times and whether the monitoring by the National Security Agency violates civil liberties. Defending the program, 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 organizations. He said the program 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 program. Without identifying specific lawmakers, Bush said congressional leaders have been briefed more than a dozen times on the program'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 authorizing the program. "I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al-Qaida and related groups," he said. |
| Posted by:Captain America |
| #16 agree, Remoteman. They went too far on this one. They threatened all of our safety and they thought they were clever. I think this wound will be fatal - slow sepsis. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-17 21:32 |
| #15 I hope that the President includes the information in his radio address today in tomorrow's TV speech. AND he needs to name congressmen that were briefed and now attacking him. The public needs to know all about this tratorious act and the perpetrators. They need to know that leaks like this threaten THEIR safety. In short, the President needs to go on the offensive and go for the throats of the traitors. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-12-17 20:48 |
| #14 The big whammy on the NYT is the obvious timing of the release of this "news". It is an obvious attempt to 1) influence the vote on the Patriot Act and 2) move attention away from the wonderful events in Iraq. Both show the NYT to be literally in the pocket of the DNC. Both show that this is not a credible news organization. Both show that the paper will risk the lives of the citizens of the US and its soldiers to do the bidding of its DNC masters. These are pretty obvious points for all but the serious kool aid drinkers and point to some real serious problems for the NYT in the future. The grey lady is dead, farting dust, morto. |
| Posted by: remoteman 2005-12-17 19:33 |
| #13 I'm sure the NY courts authorize more than 30 wiretaps per year. But then they are to stop criminals, not the poor terrorists that the Times so loves and supports. The Times had this story a year ago and held it to derail the patriot act vote. But you read a proposed pres responce by .com earlier. Guess the big guy reads Rantburg! |
| Posted by: 49 pan 2005-12-17 18:59 |
| #12 If you are a phoning Tora Bora from teh US, only the ACLU would consider that protected. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2005-12-17 18:31 |
| #11 time for a national leak investigation/prosecutions. Leahy's not trusted with this kind of info for this very reason : Leaky Leahy |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-12-17 18:01 |
| #10 Ok, what am I missing here. Being classified as secret means you are *not* supposed to talk about it, right? And doing so gets your ass thrown in the slammer? Dittos for brick, happy and Gen. Sherman. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2005-12-17 16:49 |
| #9 Dittos, Brick and Happy |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-12-17 16:31 |
| #8 Levin has more here. |
| Posted by: doc 2005-12-17 16:19 |
| #7 "I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are. If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfast. " William Tecumseh Sherman |
| Posted by: doc 2005-12-17 16:11 |
| #6 Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, said he was disturbed to learn of the program and backed calls by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, for congressional hearings. Leahy is clueless, Specter needs his butt kicked and Silentbrick needs to change the wording to "this time" |
| Posted by: mjslack 2005-12-17 15:56 |
| #5 I think that in the long run, this will be as damaging to the NYT as fake but accurate was to CBS. NYT is in deep trouble. And they just dug themselves in much deeper. This incident will be used to dismiss them as a credible news organization. They sold out national secrets to help sink the patriot act and upon further review - it's just bogus hype. Bush comes out looking like the strong protector and the NYT and the by proxie the Howard Dean Pelosi types look like traitors. My prediction - the NYT just lost any chance it ever had of redeeming itself. It's stock will continue to fall and it will lose it's serious nonderanged reporters to other venues for two reasons: their stock will plummet to where they can't pay them and more importantly, even if the Saudi prince's pump them up with some cash, then the better reporters won't want to be tainted with the NYT stink of Enquirer journalism. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-12-17 15:53 |
| #4 Silentbrick - dittos |
| Posted by: DMFD 2005-12-17 15:49 |
| #3 Where did the leak come from? NSA? Congress? Enquiring minds want to know. BTW, I second Silentbrick's sentiments. |
| Posted by: Mark Z. 2005-12-17 15:26 |
| #2 You know, the next time a reporter and their media outlet releases classified data, they need charged, convicted and executed for treason. I don't care who they are, leaking classified data in a time of war should earn them death. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2005-12-17 15:15 |
| #1 About time. He should wipe McCain's ass hairs from his boot. |
| Posted by: The Happy Fliegerabwehrkanonen 2005-12-17 14:38 |