    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [January 25, 2006]
    [Pages 124-126]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following a Visit to the National Security Agency at Fort Meade,
    Maryland
    January 25, 2006

        Thank you very much. I just had a really interesting visit here at
    the National Security Agency, and I want to thank General
    Alexander and all the folks who work out
    here for their hospitality and their briefing. I gave a speech to the
    men and women who are dedicating their lives to serving the American
    people and preventing this country from being attacked again. I was also
    able to talk to folks who work for the NSA, via video. They're around
    the world--some are in Iraq, some in Afghanistan. And it's just such an
    honor to be able to tell these people that the work they do is vital and
    necessary, and I support them 100 percent.
        Most of the accomplishments, of course, that happen out here have
    got to be secret. But I know the good work they're doing. And so I want
    to assure the American people that we are lucky to have such
    professional, smart people working day and night to protect us.
        The National Security Agency is playing a crucial part in the war on
    terror. First of all, the good folks who work out here understand we are
    at war, and they know what we know--that we face determined enemies who
    will strike without warning. And they know what I know, that we must
    learn the intentions of the enemies before they strike. That's what they
    do here--they work to protect us. The efforts of the people out here are
    a crucial part in protecting the homeland, and they've been a crucial

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    part in success in Iraq and Afghanistan as well.
        Officials here learn information about plotters and planners and
    people who would do us harm. Now, I understand there's some in America
    who say, ``Well, this can't be true--there are still people willing to
    attack.'' All I would ask them to do is listen to the words of Usama bin
    Laden and take him seriously. When he says
    he's going to hurt the American people again, or try to, he means it. I
    take it seriously, and the people of NSA take it seriously. And most of
    the American people take it seriously as well.
        Part of the war on terror--we've seen that part of the terrorists'
    strategy is to place operatives inside of our country. They blend in
    with civilian population. They get their orders from overseas, and then
    they emerge to strike from within. We must be able to quickly detect
    when someone linked to Al Qaida is communicating with someone inside of
    America. That's one of the challenges of protecting the American people,
    and it's one of the lessons of September the 11th.
        When terrorist operatives are here in America communicating with
    someone overseas, we must understand what's going on if we're going to
    do our job to protect the people. The safety and security of the
    American people depend on our ability to find out who the terrorists are
    talking to and what they're planning.
        In the weeks following September the 11th, I authorized a terrorist
    surveillance program to detect and intercept Al Qaida communications
    involving someone here in the United States. This is a targeted program
    to intercept communications in which intelligence professionals have
    reason to believe that at least one person is a member or agent of Al
    Qaida or a related terrorist organization. The program applies only to
    international communications. In other words, one end of the
    communication must be outside the United States.
        We know that two of the hijackers who struck the Pentagon were
    inside the United States communicating with Al Qaida operatives
    overseas. But we didn't realize they were here plotting the attack until
    it was too late.
        Here's what General Mike Hayden said--
    he was the former Director here at NSA. He's now the Deputy Director of
    the National Intelligence--Deputy Director of National Intelligence--and
    here's what he said earlier this week: ``Had this program been in effect
    prior to 9/11, it is my professional judgment that we would have
    detected some of the 9/11 Al Qaida operatives in the United States, and
    we would have identified them as such.''
        The 9/11 Commission made clear, in this era of new dangers, we must
    be able to connect the dots before the terrorists strike, so we can stop
    new attacks. And this NSA program is doing just that. General
    Hayden has confirmed that America has
    gained information from this program that would not otherwise have been
    available. This information has helped prevent attacks and save American
    lives. This terrorist surveillance program includes multiple safeguards
    to protect civil liberties, and it is fully consistent with our Nation's
    laws and Constitution. Federal courts have consistently ruled that a
    President has authority under the Constitution to conduct foreign
    intelligence surveillance against our enemies.
        My predecessors have used the same constitutional authority on
    numerous occasions. And the Supreme Court has ruled that Congress gave
    the President additional authority to use the traditional tools--or
    ``fundamental incidents''--of war in the fight against terror when
    Congress passed the authorization for the use of military force in 2001.
    These tools include surveillance to detect and prevent further attacks
    by our enemies. I have the authority, both from the Constitution and the
    Congress, to undertake this vital program. The American people expect me
    to protect their lives

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    and their civil liberties, and that's exactly what we're doing with this
    program.
        I'll continue to reauthorize this program for so long as our country
    faces a continuing threat from Al Qaida and related groups. This enemy
    still wants to do harm to the American people. We cannot let the fact
    that we have not been attacked lull us into the illusion that the
    threats to our Nation have disappeared. They have not disappeared; the
    terrorists are still active. And we've seen their activity in London and
    Madrid and Bali and Beslan and Amman and Baghdad and many other places
    since September the 11th. Just last week, as I mentioned earlier, we
    heard from Usama bin Laden. The terrorists
    will do everything they can to strike us. And I'm going to continue to
    do everything I can within my legal authority to stop them, and so are
    the good people here at NSA.
        In the long run, we can be confident in the outcome of this
    struggle, because we've seen the power of freedom to defeat tyranny and
    terror before. And we can be confident because we know our military and
    law enforcement and homeland security and intelligence professionals are
    working day and night to protect us.
        I'm grateful for the skill and dedication of the good folks who work
    out here. These are fine patriots, and they're making America safer.
    Thank you all very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:10 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, USA, Director, National Security Agency;
    and Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist organization. The
    Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of these remarks.