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 News from Around the Americas | January 2006 
Bush Plans Visit to Super-Secret Spies
 AP
| | President Bush defends the NSA spying program Monday at a speech in Manhattan, Kansas. |
Washington - While pressing his campaign to explain stepped-up domestic spying in the terrorism era, President Bush is taking time out to boost the morale of people carrying out this work at the National Security Agency.
Bush was traveling to the heavily secured site of the super-secret spy agency in suburban Maryland Wednesday to give a speech behind closed doors and meet with employees in advance of Senate hearings on the much-criticized domestic surveillance.
Responding to an outcry from many congressional Democrats, human rights and civil liberties groups about warrantless eavesdropping of calls and other communications made overseas from the United States, Bush has recently stepped up a series of public appearances.
In Manhattan, Kansas, on Monday, he brushed aside arguments by critics that he broke the law by authorizing domestic eavesdropping without a warrant, saying he was doing what Congress authorized him to do to protect Americans from terrorist attacks. His attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, repeated that argument in a speech Tuesday.
Hearings open February 6, and Sen. John McCain said Wednesday he's eager to learn more about the program.
Appearing on NBC's "Today" show, the Arizona Republican said that "no one wants us not to be able to eavesdrop on a conversation, listen in on a conversation between an al Qaeda operative and anyone else that could be a threat to the United States."
Asked if he thought Bush had broken the law, McCain replied, "I don't know. I want to be perfectly clear. I don't know the answer. That's why I welcome the hearings."
Former Vice President Al Gore, Bush's opponent in the hotly contested 2000 election that ended up being settled by the Supreme Court, charged earlier this month that Bush has violated federal laws. |
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