Senators Question Top Bush Official About Domestic Surveillance Program
18 January 2007
U.S. senators have vigorously questioned U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about a controversial program that allowed domestic surveillance without warrants.
Gonzales testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday, one day after announcing the surveillance program will now be conducted subject to the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a secret independent body.
Lawmakers, including the previous chairman of the committee, Republican Arlen Specter, wanted to know why it took five years before the program was placed under the authority of the court, known as FISA.
President Bush secretly authorized the surveillance program after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Its existence was not disclosed until late 2005.
The program allowed the government to monitor without a court-issued warrant phone calls and e-mails between the United States and other countries when individuals with suspected terror links were involved.
Gonzales announced Wednesday in a letter to senators that the surveillance would now be done subject to the court, and that President Bush will not reauthorize the program when the current authorization expires.
Civil rights advocates charged that the program violated privacy and constitutional rights.
The Bush administration had argued it had the authority to conduct the warrantless surveillance under special powers passed after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
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