Posted on 12/17/2005 8:29:40 AM PST by blogblogginaway
RADIO ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE NATION
The Roosevelt Room
10:06 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.
As President, I took an oath to defend the Constitution, and I have no greater responsibility than to protect our people, our freedom, and our way of life. On September the 11th, 2001, our freedom and way of life came under attack by brutal enemies who killed nearly 3,000 innocent Americans. We're fighting these enemies across the world. Yet in this first war of the 21st century, one of the most critical battlefronts is the home front. And since September the 11th, we've been on the offensive against the terrorists plotting within our borders.
One of the first actions we took to protect America after our nation was attacked was to ask Congress to pass the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act tore down the legal and bureaucratic wall that kept law enforcement and intelligence authorities from sharing vital information about terrorist threats. And the Patriot Act allowed federal investigators to pursue terrorists with tools they already used against other criminals. Congress passed this law with a large, bipartisan majority, including a vote of 98-1 in the United States Senate.
Since then, America's law enforcement personnel have used this critical law to prosecute terrorist operatives and supporters, and to break up terrorist cells in New York, Oregon, Virginia, California, Texas and Ohio. The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do: it has protected American liberty and saved American lives.
Yet key provisions of this law are set to expire in two weeks. The terrorist treat to our country will not expire in two weeks. The terrorists want to attack America again, and inflict even greater damage than they did on September the 11th. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that law enforcement and intelligence officials have the tools they need to protect the American people.
The House of Representatives passed reauthorization of the Patriot Act. Yet a minority of senators filibustered to block the renewal of the Patriot Act when it came up for a vote yesterday. That decision is irresponsible, and it endangers the lives of our citizens. The senators who are filibustering must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act. In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment.
To fight the war on terror, I am using authority vested in me by Congress, including the Joint Authorization for Use of Military Force, which passed overwhelmingly in the first week after September the 11th. I'm also using constitutional authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief.
In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on our nation, I authorized the National Security Agency, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, to intercept the international communications of people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations. Before we intercept these communications, the government must have information that establishes a clear link to these terrorist networks.
This is a highly classified program that is crucial to our national security. Its purpose is to detect and prevent terrorist attacks against the United States, our friends and allies. Yesterday the existence of this secret program was revealed in media reports, after being improperly provided to news organizations. As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have, and the unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk. Revealing classified information is illegal, alerts our enemies, and endangers our country.
As the 9/11 Commission pointed out, it was clear that terrorists inside the United States were communicating with terrorists abroad before the September the 11th attacks, and the commission criticized our nation's inability to uncover links between terrorists here at home and terrorists abroad. Two of the terrorist hijackers who flew a jet into the Pentagon, Nawaf al Hamzi and Khalid al Mihdhar, communicated while they were in the United States to other members of al Qaeda who were overseas. But we didn't know they were here, until it was too late.
The authorization I gave the National Security Agency after September the 11th helped address that problem in a way that is fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities. The activities I have authorized make it more likely that killers like these 9/11 hijackers will be identified and located in time. And the activities conducted under this authorization have helped detect and prevent possible terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad.
The activities I authorized are reviewed approximately every 45 days. Each review is based on a fresh intelligence assessment of terrorist threats to the continuity of our government and the threat of catastrophic damage to our homeland. During each assessment, previous activities under the authorization are reviewed. The review includes approval by our nation's top legal officials, including the Attorney General and the Counsel to the President. I have reauthorized this program more than 30 times since the September the 11th attacks, and I intend to do so for as long as our nation faces a continuing threat from al Qaeda and related groups.
The NSA's activities under this authorization are thoroughly reviewed by the Justice Department and NSA's top legal officials, including NSA's general counsel and inspector general. Leaders in Congress have been briefed more than a dozen times on this authorization and the activities conducted under it. Intelligence officials involved in this activity also receive extensive training to ensure they perform their duties consistent with the letter and intent of the authorization.
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, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
Thank you.
END 10:13 A.M. EST
"I know it's not biblical, but I am really starting to hate the democrats and the leftists."
Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?" - Psalm 139:21
See also Ps. 97:10 and Ps. 101:13
Thats a ridiculous statement and IMO only a troll trying to make Conserviatives look ignorant would make such a remark.
Some may. They are also carefully crafted to affect the targets and not the general population. They also sunset, which is what this whole debate is about.
Other Presidents have suspended parts of the Constitution in time of war but we didn't have the aclu and treasonous dems to whine about it.
We'll leave your quoting of leftist moonbats as truth for another time. My question is why do you feel it necessary to inform the world that you are an ex-Catholic on your homepage?
It sure makes you want to get out the rack and thumbscrews doesn't it? I think the only way to stop leaks once you have an idea of who may be involved is to isolate suspects from sensitive information. Another might be to deliberately feed them identifiable misinformation that, once leaked, would finger them. But I'm sure the real spooks have tried all these and other sophisticated methods. The 'permanent government' (bureaucracies) are demonstrably liberal and will stop at nothing to undermine effective conservative officials.
Which comes back to the question posted earlier: why doesn't the President just issue an executive order? Why use the Congress at all?
Thank you, President Bush.
And thanks for this, too---
http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/JY8xs3uG
Can you not read? McCain attached it to the Defense bill -- you want that vetoed?
Read the transcript of President Bush's radio address today. In it you will find some FACTS about the effectiveness of the Patriot Act. (Or you one of those who think "Bush Lied'?)
no- I may be the one missing that part....
I don't recall it being considered to be a permanent thing.
If it is, then I have to still submit to everyone that it is NOT a blanket spy act. It merely allows us to folow leads that bring us INTO the US. It is not used to TARGET US citizens.
My computer is down, I have no ears....I am using my son's computer with no speakers or sound...(YARG!)that is why I ask this next question...
hasn't Rush covered this????
I would think Rush would be all over this and explaining all this.....
I do not think thats what the EO is for, for starters and also the Patriot Act provides more than he could get in an EO and also he has congress in on it, which is the reason for his statement today where he said they are now against it.
Hey, and you are too! How's it feel to be on the same side as the liberals?? LOL!!
Bingo! Mole RATs are everywhere!
"Thats a ridiculous statement and IMO only a troll trying to make Conserviatives look ignorant would make such a remark."
What is even more ridiculous is how you label me a "troll" because I don't agree with you.
Because I find that when I engage Catholics here on Freep I am sometimes accused of knowing nothing about the Catholic faith, even though I was born and raised Catholic, and attended Catholic grammar school, Catholic high school, and Catholic college.
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, so long as I'm the President of the United States.
A man who's vision of duty is clear.
WHOA!
C'mon. I have agreed with both of you on this and different threads. May I just say that NapkinUser is no troll, and I tend to agree with RBA on this issue. but the namecalling is ridiculous and will serve NO GOOD OUTCOME...
now- back to your corners, and lets fight nice....
:-)
"In it you will find some FACTS about the effectiveness of the Patriot Act. (Or you one of those who think "Bush Lied'?)"
So you can't cite any of these facts? You're just willing to blindly give the government power to spy on American citizens without warrants or reason? I know the founding fathers wouldn't approve.
I'm on the side of the Constitution. :-)
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