They Just Figured Out It's Illegal?

Secret court to govern wiretapping plan - 17 Jan 2007 at 2:00pm - WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department, easing a Bush administration policy, said Wednesday it has decided to give an independent body authority to monitor the government's controversial domestic spying program. In a letter to the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said this authority has been given to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and that it already has approved one request for monitoring the communications of a person believed to be linked to al-Qaida or an associated terror group.

The authority of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to approve or deny requests to monitor domestic communications is derived from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; the Justice Department can neither give that authority nor take it away.

Senators agree on Iraq war resolution - 17 Jan 2007 at 3:29pm - WASHINGTON -- A group of senators including a Republican war critic announced agreement Wednesday on a resolution opposing President Bush's 21,500 troop build up in Iraq, setting their marker for a major clash between the White House and Congress over the unpopular war.

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Domestic surveillance, Iraq policy