Court should monitor Bush spy program: Roberts Sat Feb 18, 1:14 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush's domestic spying program should be overseen by a special court, the Senate Intelligence Committee's chairman said in an interview published on Saturday that revealed a split with the White House.
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Committee Chairman Pat Roberts told The New York Times he had concerns that the court, established under the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, could not issue warrants quickly enough for the eavesdropping program. But he said he would like to see that obstacle worked out.
"I think it should come before the FISA court, but I don't know how it works," Roberts, a Kansas Republican who has backed the administration on most intelligence issues, was quoted as saying. He said speed and agility were essential for the program.
Both Republicans and Democrats have raised questions about the program, which began shortly after the September 11 attacks. It allows the National Security Agency to act without a warrant in eavesdropping on the international communications of U.S. citizens suspected of having terrorist ties.
The surveillance act made spying on American citizens in the United States illegal without the approval of the special court, which operates in secret.
Bush insists he has constitutional authority to authorize the eavesdropping program as part of his war on terrorism, and the administration has resisted appeals for legislation to change the program.
The White House also contends Congress gave Bush the power as part its authorization to use force to respond to the September 11 attacks. Many lawmakers from both parties disagree.
Roberts told the newspaper he did not believe that exempting the program from the court's purview "would be met with much support" from Congress.
He was cited as saying he believed Bush had the constitutional authority for the program. However, he said, "We would be much more in concert with the Congress and the FISA court judges," if the court oversaw the program.
Roberts announced on Thursday that "an agreement in principle" had been reached with the White House to address concerns about the eavesdropping. He rejected a call by committee vice chairman John Rockefeller, a Democrat, for an immediate probe into the program.
The White House has said Bush is open to ideas like that of Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine (news, bio, voting record), who suggested creating a special subcommittee within the intelligence committees that would receive more details on the program and provide more oversight. DeWine's bill would also exempt the program from the intelligence court. |
