Bush calls for expansion of spy law by Delia Cruceru

Wednesday, President Bush urged the Congress to make the Protect American Act, that allows the government to have permanently more power in intercepting foreign communications without a court order even involving American citizens, permanent and to expand the law before the initial term of six months. The new law changed the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act under the pressure of Bush administration. During a visit at Fort Meade, the National Security Agency headquarters, Bush said that the people working for the Agency need provisions contained in the Protect America Act, adopted last month, to do their jobs. "It will be harder to figure out what our enemies are doing to train, recruit and infiltrate operatives into America," the president said. "Without these tools, our country will be much more vulnerable to attack." But some Democrats say that the changes of 1978 Act infringe the constitutional rights. The Congress had to put a six month limit on law. "The problem is the law expires on February 1st - that's 135 days from today," Bush said. "The threat from al-Qaida is not going to expire in 135 days." The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller said that the lawmakers understand the need for updating the law, but they also have to protect the rights and liberties of Americans. "For over five years, the president carried out a warrantless surveillance program that ignored the law and the role of court oversight," Rockefeller said.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070919/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_eavesdropping;_ylt=AmP9obqcWYPdo8Y3zyNSuPSs0NUE

by Delia Cruceru for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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