Judge Hears Arguments in Spy Program Case

DETROIT -- Government attorneys continued Monday to argue that state secrets would be breached if a lawsuit challenging President Bush's domestic spying program is heard in federal court.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor listened to arguments, but gave no indication of whether she would dismiss the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the National Security Agency.

It was the second hearing in the case. The two sides faced off for the first time June 12.

The ACLU is asking for an immediate halt to the warrantless domestic surveillance program, arguing that it violates the rights to free speech and privacy. A similar lawsuit has been filed in New York by the Center for Constitutional Rights.

The government counters that the program is well within the president's authority, but proving that would require revealing state secrets.

The White House has acknowledged eavesdropping on Americans' international communications without first seeking court approval. Bush has said the eavesdropping is legal because of a congressional resolution passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that authorized him to use force in the fight against terrorism.

Vice President Dick Cheney again defended the program during a visit to the Detroit area Monday.

"The terrorist surveillance program is fully consistent with the constitutional responsibilities and the legal authority of the president," Cheney said in remarks at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County's Harrison Township. He called the program "absolutely essential" to the nation's security.

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Associated Press writer Brian Charlton in Harrison Township contributed to this report.