Letter requesting Extensive Information about NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program
02-08-2006 -- Judiciary Committee Oversight Letter to Attorney General Gonzales
requesting Extensive Information about NSA Terrorist Surveillance Program.
http://judiciary.house.gov/media/pdfs/DOJNSA.pdfLARGE FILE WARNING = 14 page PDF
Dear Attorney General Gonzales:
As you are aware, on December 16,2005, the New York Times reported that the President
ordered the National Security Agency (NSA) to conduct warrantless wiretaps on international
communications between suspected terrorists and individuals within the United States. On
December 17,2005, the President addressed the Nation in his weekly radio address and
responded to the New York times article. President Bush explained that "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." He highlighted the
fact that this program is continuously reviewed. "The activities 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."
The Committee on the Judiciary has received two referrals of resolutions of inquiry
regarding the Department of Justice's involvement in the NSA program. ......
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