President Bush confirms secret surveillance order

George W. Bush

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush has defended a secret order he signed allowing for eavesdropping on people in the United States, as he fought for the renewal of the anti-terror USA Patriot Act.

On Capitol Hill, where a hearing has been promised on Bush's order, lawmakers in both parties said they wanted to avoid allowing the Patriot Act to expire. One possibility was a temporary extension until differences could be resolved in efforts to balance national security with civil liberties.

Bush said he made the secret order to allow eavesdropping of people in the United States after the September 11, 2001, attacks, and criticized leaks to the news media about it.

"I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with US law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations," Bush said a rare live radio address.

"This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security," Bush said.

Bush initially refused to confirm a report in The New York Times about the NSA program, saying he would not discuss sensitive intelligence matters.

On Saturday, the president said he had reauthorized the eavesdropping program 30 times since the September 11, 2001, and intends to continue it "for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related groups."

Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, voiced concern about the program and backed plans by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, for a congressional hearing.

"Electronic surveillance is an important law enforcement and intelligence gathering tool, but it can and must be done lawfully, in accordance with our laws and Constitution," he said.

Bush's radio address came amid an impasse in Congress over a measure that would extend key provisions of the 2001 Patriot Act that are set to expire on December 31. The act expanded the power of law enforcement to track suspected terrorists.

VIEW FROM CAPITOL HILL

A group of senators - most of them Democrats joined by a few Republicans - on Friday blocked renewal of the provisions as they demanded more safeguards for civil liberties. Bush said the roadblock was irresponsible and could endanger lives.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, said, "We're working all angles" to extend expiring provisions, and voiced optimism that they would succeed.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, again urged a three-month extension of the provisions to allow time to resolve the differences. Congressional Republican leaders and the White House have so far rejected such a move.

But one congressional leadership aide put it, "No one one wants to see this expire," so a temporary extension was a looming possibility.

The New York Times said the presidential order allowed the National Security Agency to track international telephone calls and emails of hundreds of people without the court approval normally required for domestic spying.

Bush said the disclosure was improper. "Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country," he said.

He insisted his role as commander-in-chief gave him the authority to allow the surveillance. He said the program was constitutional, was reviewed by legal authorities and that leaders in Congress were aware of it.

Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin said he was shocked by the program and disagreed with Bush on its legality.

"The president believes that he has the power to override the laws that Congress has passed. This is not how our democratic system of government works," Feingold said. "He is a president, not a king.

- REUTERS