Justice Dept. to Declare Warrantless NSA Surveillance was Legal
Raw Story has obtained a copy of the Justice Department memo about to be released vouching for the legality of Bush's warrantless NSA electronic surviellance program.
"The NSA activities are supported by the Presidentâs well-recognized inherent constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and sole organ for the Nation in foreign affairs to conduct warrantless surveillance of enemy forces for intelligence purposes to detect and disrupt armed attacks on the United States," Justice Department lawyers write, referring to the President's order to wiretap Americans' calls overseas.
It adds, "The President has the chief responsibility under the Constitution to protect America from attack, and the Constitution gives the President the authority necessary to fulfill that solemn responsibility."
The full DOJ memo is available here (pdf). The New York Times article is here.
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