Bush under pressure over private phone call surveillance

BOTH Republicans and Democrats yesterday demanded answers from the Bush administration about a government spy agency secretly collecting records of tens of millions ordinary Americans’ phone calls to build a database of every call made within the country.

The White House said US President George W Bush would speak on the issue.

Mr Bush was to comment before leaving on a trip to the state of Mississippi.

The top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee said he was shocked by the National Security Agency revelation.

“It is our government, it’s not one party’s government. It’s America’s government. Those entrusted with great power have a duty to answer to Americans (for) what they are doing,” Sen Patrick Leahy said.

AT&T, Verizon Communications and BellSouth telephone companies began turning over records of tens of millions of their customers’ phone calls to the National Security Agency programme shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, said USA Today, citing anonymous sources it said had direct knowledge of the arrangement.

Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Sen Arlen Specter said he would call the phone companies to appear before the panel “to find out exactly what is going on”.

The companies said yesterday that they are protecting customers’ privacy but have an obligation to assist law enforcement and government agencies in ensuring the nation’s security.

The White House stood by its eavesdropping programme and said no domestic surveillance is conducted without court approval.