Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2006 – President Bush today reiterated the need for a terrorist surveillance program to save American lives and win the war on terrorism. I gave a speech to the men and women who are dedicating their lives to serving the American people and preventing this country from being attacked again," Bush said following his closed-door session at the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Md. He said the agency "is playing a crucial part in the war on terror." In the weeks following the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Bush authorized the agency to gather information...

President George W. Bush said on Wednesday he took Osama bin Laden's threats of another attack seriously and invoked the al Qaeda leader's recent audiotape to defend a domestic eavesdropping program.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. I just had a really interesting visit here at the National Security Agency, and I want to thank General Alexander and all the folks who work out here for their hospitality and their briefing. I gave a speech to the men and women who are dedicating their lives to serving the American people and preventing this country from being attacked again. I was also able to talk to folks who work for the NSA, via video. They're around the world -- some are in Iraq, some in Afghanistan. And it's just such an honor...

President Bush on Wednesday will try to boost the morale of National Security Agency workers carrying out his controversial eavesdropping program. While critics call it a domestic spying program, the White House calls it a "terrorist surveillance program." After receiving harsh criticism from civil liberties groups and Democrats when news of the program was leaked by The New York Times, defending the program is a top priority of the Bush administration. The president on Wednesday will visit behind closed doors with employees of the super-secretive agency — which traditionally conducts only overseas surveillance. He will then make some remarks to...