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 saw a segment last night where this was debated.
The big rift in information seems to be the use of, or non-use of a certain word. "TARGET"
the Patriot Act is being portrayed by our enemies within as a "big brother" program. They try to portray the Patriot Act as a blanket spy program for agencies to spy on US citizens for delight.
In reality- the act TARGETS overseas links to terror groups and follows their communications. The Patriot allows these agencies to continue their survelience once the trail leads within our borders. It DOES NOT TARGET US citizens at all.
The horror of those misrepresenting the act is that they have this information that tells us that the TARGETS are the overseas links, but either lie about it just to trash the President and weaken our security, or they are too dang lazy to read the info they have and would rather rush to a camera or microphone to cry "BIG BROTHER" "FACSISTS" and "HITLER"
We have a pathetic group of immoral, self-serving people representing us and charges with the duty of protecting us...
PATHETIC...
I had not yet heard about this. Thanks much for the excellent news. I'm marking it on the calendar.
By the way, when is ol' Arlen going to do the right thing and switch parties? (And take McCain with him)
I think that Bush's signature onto McCain's stupid amendment can be accepted as having as much force as Hitler's signature on Chamberlain's piece of paper at Munich. When the rubber hits the road, Bush will do what has to be done to defend America - whatever McCain has to say about it.
As for this, all I can say is: God bless the President.
Thank you, President Bush for your amazing strength.
You are twice the man that I will ever be.
God bless you, sir.
Yeah pay no attention that the bill passed the Congress with Veto proof Majorities. Wouldn't want the Whine All The Time Choir to actually have to hold the Congress accountable to their votes! NO that would force the Whiners to actually have to THINK and post something NEW instead of merely posting the 10,000th repeat of the same old worn hyper bigoted nonsensical attack on Bush.
Yeah Bush should of vetoed the bill so the Whine All The time Choir could have a hissy fit about "Bush playing politics with National Security" and cheer on Congress as it simply revoted and passed the same bill with the SAME votes they all ready made. The Whine All the Time Choir keeps showing us how politically incompetent they all are.
Nice try, Doug Thompson, but nobody but the moonbats believe you. You nearly broke my BS Meter.
Bush did what he should have done. I have had it with the liberals, Republicans and Democrats, who continue to work hard to destroy this country's ability to defend itself. The domestic enemy of the this country is doing more damage to this country today than any foreign enemy is.
There should be a Special Prosecutor charged with investigating and prosecuting all leaks which have undermined the War on Terror.
In particular, the "Secret Prisons" and this. Whoever leaked each of those things should be in prison, or perhaps worse.
WATCh - I like it. :-)
In the real world that would be true. With the Democrats and the MSM, both working toward ousting Bush and the Republicans while converting this country to Communism, almost immediately after 9/11 they started changing the subject and avoiding the issue, even refusing to show the pictures of 9/11, saying it would harm the children, because they want us to forget it. 9/11 is a damning contrast between Bush and Clinton with Bush looking heroic and taking bold action and Clinton looking weak and afraid.
They are right this minute working to help the terrorists and they would welcome another attack to help them get back in power. They would blame all they have done on Bush.
You casn throw in McCain and probably Shays, too.
I never claimed to be a serious commentator. I merely posted what the commentator wrote about what the reporter reported. Since he is not MSM, are you saying that his reporting is not reliable?
This has nothing to do with the CIA.
Don't leave off the Whine All The Time's Choirs seeming personal Hero. Senator John "McMedia" McCain. Funny how none of the usual whiners ever manage to find ANYTHING to say about the REAL problem. John McCain's out of control ego? Seen his approval rating? As long as he keeps getting away with stabbing the Party in the back, given political cover while doing it by the usual crowds usual whines about Bush, NOTHING is going to get done. Government BY the People. HA! What can you do with people too stupid to actually LEARN how their Government works?????? Guess what? As LONG as the Squishy 7 pay NO political price for their betrayals expect more of them monthly for the next 3 years. Conservative simply MUST GET ACTIVIST on the Congresses butt.
Why don't you read the whole article for yourself? After all,
"Facts are neither debatable nor open to "I have a right to this opinion" nonsense." :-)
Interesting how opposition to Bush is always couched in the outlandish, ridiculous and out-of-character.
Lies on the left and lies from the extremist right and lies from the terminally insane are still lies.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
December 17, 2005
Radio Address by the President to the Nation
The Roosevelt Room
 |
|||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|||||
10:06 A.M. EST
Radio Address Ping!
Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Radio Address Ping List.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
