What Bush admit a mistake? Come on. There is no way that President Bush and Attorney General Gonzales would reverse course on the illegal wiretapping program would they? I don’t trust this move. Not one bit.
Of note, Glenn Greenwald points out that Gonzales’ letter is vague. There is no other evidence that the administration is playing ball. Put away the party hats until we get more information.
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From CNN.com:
Reversing a position it defended for more than a year, the Bush administration announced Wednesday that it has begun getting court approval before eavesdropping on the communications of suspected terrorists or their associates.
The Justice Department notified Congress that a court set up to specialize in wiretapping would oversee its “terrorist surveillance program,” which the administration has said could operate without judicial review. Critics said that violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, which set up a special court to review wiretap applications in intelligence cases.
In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wrote that the administration still believes the program is legal, but that a judge on the court has set rules that preserve “the speed and agility necessary” to battle terrorism.
“The president is committed to using all lawful tools to protect our nation from the terrorist threat, including making maximum use of the authorities provided by FISA and taking full advantage of developments in the law,” Gonzales wrote. (Read Gonzales’ letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee)
