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Hayden Insists NSA Surveillance Is Legal
Hayden said the number of terrorists in the world has grown, but that they are "in capability, much reduced."
Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., complained about the CIA's performance on Iraq: "Nobody bats 1.000 in the intelligence world, but the Iraq WMD failure was due in large part to a terribly flawed tradecraft."
  CIA director nominee Michael Hayden testifies on Capitol Hill, Thursday, May 18, 2006 at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Hayden acknowledged concerns about civil liberties even as he vigorously defended the Bush administration's warrantless eavesdropping program as a legal spy tool needed to ensnare terrorists. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook) (Dennis Cook - AP) Save & Share |
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Roberts, a strong Hayden supporter, also expressed regret about the leaks on NSA programs. "I have never seen a program more tightly run and closely scrutinized," he said.
Elsewhere Thursday, BellSouth Corp. called on USA Today to retract claims in its story asserting that the telecommunications company provided phone records of its customers to NSA. Both BellSouth and Verizon Communications Inc., another company cited in the story, denied this week that they provided the calling records.
USA Today spokesman Steve Anderson said the newspaper has not made any decisions regarding action it might take.
The White House hopes the Senate could approve Hayden as soon as next week, enabling him to step in as Porter Goss departs on May 26. Even with the tough questioning, Hayden appeared likely to be confirmed in the Republican-controlled Senate.
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