President Bush Says NSA Leaks Hurt Our Ability To Defeat Enemy
Posted on May 11, 2006
Bush responds to the new NSA leaks.
THE PRESIDENT: “After September the 11th, I vowed to the American people that our government would do everything within the law to protect them against another terrorist attack. As part of this effort, I authorized the National Security Agency to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations.
In other words, if al Qaeda or their associates are making calls into the United States or out of the United States, we want to know what they’re saying.
“Today there are new claims about other ways we are tracking down al Qaeda to prevent attacks on America. I want to make some important points about what the government is doing and what the government is not doing.
“First, our international activities strictly target al Qaeda and their known affiliates. Al Qaeda is our enemy, and we want to know their plans. Second, the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval. Third, the intelligence activities I authorized are lawful and have been briefed to appropriate members of Congress, both Republican and Democrat. Fourth, the privacy of ordinary Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities.
“We’re not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al Qaeda and their known affiliates. So far we’ve been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil.
“As a general matter, every time sensitive intelligence is leaked, it hurts our ability to defeat this enemy. Our most important job is to protect the American people from another attack, and we will do so within the laws of our country.
“Thank you.”
Absolutely. Hot Air has the video. Lots more about this on the post below.
» Filed Under News, War On Terror
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10 Responses to “President Bush Says NSA Leaks Hurt Our Ability To Defeat Enemy”
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“We’re not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans”
So they’re not doing data mining? curious. Why do they need all these records then?
Go read this and come back.
“Go read this and come back.”
Thats about data mining. Bush said we’re not data mining.
I don’t see where he said that at all. He said we are not trolling or mining through people’s personal lifes. I don’t see where he said we were not collecting data on what phone numbers called other phone numbers. Go read what I sent you to read again, and read it very closely. You obviously missed the message.
“He said we are not trolling or mining through people’s personal lifes.”
I take my phone calls to be part of my private life. That’s why the Bush FTC is going after companies that illegally sell cellphone records. Because people consider those part of their private lives.
Whatever. People’s phone numbers are in public phone books.
I’ll just quote it over here since you obviously didn’t read it.
This doesn’t involve eavesdropping, but merely running these millions of phone numbers and tens of millions of phone contacts through some kind of computer analysis.
This has nothing to do with the Fourth Amendment. The case law couldn’t be clearer. And those who demand judicial oversight do so not because they want or hope the courts will affirm these intelligence-gathering methods, but because they oppose them and hope some activist court will kill them.
Disarming as this enemy plots against us, even where the Constitution doesn’t require it, is a perverse view of civil liberties. It’s not the lawyers in the courtrooms who are challenging or will challenge these basic intelligence gather practices who are protecting our civil liberties. It’s the soldiers, spies, intelligence analysts, and law enforcement, led by a president with the guts to face down this enemy, who are doing so.
Is not life the most important of civil liberties? These intelligence programs are trashed without any curiosity as to whether they’ve prevented any attacks and saved any lives. The hostile responses are largely knee-jerk and lack any kind of context. The arguments are abstract and descend into fear-mongering. While I’m all for philosophical debates, how about a little more reality when it comes to fighting and winning this war—a real war against a horrific enemy.
“People’s phone numbers are in public phone books.”
This isn’t your phone numbers. This is your calls.
“I’ll just quote it over here since you obviously didn’t read it.”
I read it. I know whats at stake.
No names,no addresses, no details of calls…just phone numbers. End of discussion.
“No names,no addresses, no details of calls…just phone numbers. End of discussion.”
As you say, your phone number is in the phone book. You can get a name from a number without too much effort.