Gonzales to release spy program details

[helderheid]

By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Wednesday he will turn over secret documents detailing the government's domestic spying program, ending a two-week standoff with the Senate Judiciary Committee over surveillance targeting terror suspects.


"It's never been the case where we said we would never provide the access," Gonzales told reporters.

"We'd obviously be concerned about (how) the public disclosure may jeopardize the national security of our country," he said. "But we're working with the Congress to provide the information that it needs."

The documents held by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court — including investigators' applications for permission to spy and judges' orders — will be given to some lawmakers as early as Wednesday.

Gonzales said the documents would not be released publicly. "We're talking about highly classified discussions about highly classified actions of the United States government," the attorney general said.

MORE >>>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070131/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/domestic_spying;_ylt=AvlZuWoi1xIA4ZTrmjJTmBWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

[helderheid]

1. kick

[CrazyOrangeCat]

2. I hope Leahy puts this traitor's . . .

nutz in a vise.:applause:

[Mind_your_head]

3. Isn't this what Gonzales promised to turn over to (Leahy?)

when he was under questioning by the Senate Committee last week? And he was given one week to provide it...

[helderheid]

4. more >

The records will be given to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), D-Vt., and the panel's top Republican, Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., who two weeks ago lambasted Gonzales for refusing to turn over documents that even the FISA Court's presiding judge had no objection to releasing.

The documents also will be available to lawmakers and staffers on the House and Senate intelligence committees. These people already were cleared to receive details about the controversial spy program.

[Mind_your_head]

7. Geez, that was TWO weeks ago already......

I wonder if Gonzales is really gonna turn over "the real deal" for the committee to see....

I guess we'll find out?

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. I wonder which program he's going "turn over"

The one before the uproard, or the one now.

[helderheid]

16. yes, what is he giving him after 2 WEEKS

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. I wonder if Gonzo is doing this because he's getting ready to bail out? I would

think that his ass is on the line with a lot of the policy.

[helderheid]

6. he so needs to go - they all do.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

8. You can say that again and again and again and again..... :) eom

[CoffeeCat]

9. Oh please!

I'm really cynical right now, but so what if Gonzales agrees to do anything.

He's a liar and a smirky, conscience-lacking, Bush lemming.

If Gonzales says he's turning over "details about the spy program"--I wouldn't be
surprised if he handed the Senate Judiciary Committee a lightweight pamphlet
that read, "The US Spy Program is nice and pretty. It is legal. It keeps America safe.
See George spy. Spy George spy."

[helderheid]

10. I feel your skepticism!

[CoffeeCat]

11. And aren't you so tired of it?

I feel like our leaders are juvenile delinquent teenagers that
you never truly trust. When they say that they'll be home
at 6:00 for dinner--they come home high on crack at midnight
with a stolen car.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could believe in our leaders and trust them?

Just for once I would like to feel the peace and calm of knowing that
we were all in capable, intelligent hands.

These loons make me nuts!

[helderheid]

13. me as well - and I'm EXHAUSTED. I trust Lehey though to pull no punches!

[Parche]

12. NSA Letter

The President xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxs described certain activitics of the National Security Agency xxxxxxxxxxxI am the Deciderxxxxxxxxxxxx("NSA") that he has authorized since shortly after Septcmber 1 1,200 1. As described by the President, xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Dick Cheney rocks xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx The purpose of these intercepts is to establish an early warning system to detect and prcvent another catastrophic terrorist attack on the IJnited States. The President has made clear that he will use his constitutional and statutory authorities to protect the Amercan people from further terrorist attacks, and the NSA activities the President described are part of that effort. Leaders of the Congress were briefed on these activities more than a dozen tlnies. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxI am Speedy Gonzalezxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx our national security." The President further explained that "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." These critical national security activities remain classified. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTerra Terra Terraxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 2
activities described by the President, remain in full force and effect. The unauthorized disclosure of classified xxxxxxxxxxxxNucularxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx briefings to the Congress on these activities in an appropriate manner. Any such briefings will be conducted in a manner that will not endanger national security. Under Article 11 of the Constitution, including in his capacity as Commander in Chief, the President has the responsibility to protect the Nation from further attacks, and the Constitution gives him all necessary authority to fulfill that duty. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxStay the course xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWe are spying on them over here so we dont have to fight them over therexxxxxx (" . . . a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces."). This constitutional authority includes the authority to order warrantless foreign intelligence surveillance within the United States, as all federal appellate courts, including at least four circuits, to have addressed the issue have concluded. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxUndisclosed Locationxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx held that the President did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information. . . . We take for granted that the President does have that authority. . . ."). The Supreme Court has said that warrants are generally required in the context of purely donrestic threats. hut it expressly distinguished,foreign threats. See United States v. United States District Court xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTerraxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx the authority to conduct warrantless surveillance for national security purposes, and a warrant is unnecessary "if the President of the United States or his chief legal officer, the Attorney General, has considered the requirements of national security and authorized electronic surveillance as reasonable." Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347, 363-64 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxCut and RunxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMission Accomplishedxxxxxxxxxxx. The AUMF authorizes the President "to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks of September 1 1, 2001, . . . xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMuslim Extremistsxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad"). The AUMF cannot be read as limited to authorizing the use of force against Afghanistan

[librechik]

15. Hey wait a second--this is all redacted! D'oh!

why did I think I could trust that guy???!!