The Wall Street Journal released a transcript today (Jan. 26) of a rare interview with Pres. Bush. Along the way, the WSJ asked a question that many have been eager to hear the President answer:
WSJ: OK. Why not just -- why didn't you go back to the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court and get approval, because they surely would have given you approval even after the fact?
Mr. Bush: It's a different -- the FISA law was written in 1978, and we require a different response to an enemy. And what I said -- here, let me just give you my management style. I talked to people like General Hayden. I said: Can we do a better of job of protecting the American people within the Constitution and guaranteeing civil rights? Those were the parameters, because I want to make sure what I do, I've got the legal authority to do. So you design the program and look at all options. And this is the program they brought back to me. I'm not going to describe it to you, nor should anybody else, because all that does is tell the enemy how to adjust.
Now if the people don't believe there's an enemy there, fine. But there is an enemy. Their leader [i.e.Osama bin Laden] announced just the other day that [they're] going to attack. And so to answer your question, we had the legal scholars, we had our operators all look at the best way to be able to deal with a 21st century problem -- and that is phone calls from outside the country to inside the country -- not within the country; it's important for people -- I think some are beginning -- I thought initially because this was within the country -- a known al Qaeda, or suspected al Qaeda calling in requires instant reaction. And so with FISA being used, the '78 law is relevant for some activities to protect the American people. These people came up with a different plan. And I'm sorry we're talking about it.
End of interview. (Our operators are standing by.)
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