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
FYI.
The president's speech covers a lot of what we heard on the radio re the bill being passed and the tight restrictions.
But yet the media and Chucky are still concerned about the Plame crap. THIS is vital to our national security and the leakers need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We need to send a truckload of corks to the CIA so they can plug the leaks.
If any of my family is killed or injured in terrorist attack, I will personally hold McCain, the Senators that filibustered the Patriot Act renewal and the serial leakers personally responsible. The blood will be on their hands.
Damn them all!
Nice way to try to skirt the issue, use ad hominem attaacks ("moonbats") just like the lefties do. Are you saying that the Patriot Act does NOT infringe on the Constitution?
Illegal leaking of classified information is a CRIME...Prosecution is mandatory if we are to protect ourselves from the treason within our gates.
Time to round up the usual suspects and warm up the lie detector!
The CIA? Much more likely the Rats.
So are you saying that Doug Thompson is not a reliable reporter? I don't know the guy from Adam; maybe he isn't.
As far as I'm concerned, the real question remains: Does the Patriot Act infringe on the Constitution or not?
"There should be a Special Prosecutor......."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To what end? To put traitors under oath? As if they would not lie?
It would be helpful to the discussion if you would point out some way or ways in which you think it does.
"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."
Next sentence should have been, "It is treason and when we find out the source of this leak, he will be tried and punished for treason during war times. Accordingly, I have authorized the Attorney General to begin an investigation and convene a Grand Jury specifically to find this traitor. He will supeona the reporters and charge them with aiding and abetting an enemy in the time of war, unless they reveal their sources. Merry Christmas".
PS: I don't care that time thinks I'm in a bubble, I'm gonna put your ass in jail. {I know, not very Presidential, but I got carried away. You know how us cowboys are}.
marking for later read
You might want to invest in your own BS meter, it really does do wonders to save a lot of time and energy for yourself.....chasing down ridiculous rumors is not a good use of time, although you may find it amusing....
This President has shown more respect for the office and the title of President than the previous guy.....
I don't buy for a second that this so called statement from Bush is accurate, let alone in context....
really- a BS meter would be a great investment for you...
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.
Now be prepared to be attacked as a Bushbot. I am all the time. I think there are now about as many mole Democrats on FR as conservatives. At least I want to think that rather than to think Freepers are so naive.
Thank you.. VERY timely.
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