Carter: Bush eavesdropping programme 'illegal'

Former US president Jimmy Carter has criticised the Bush administration’s domestic eavesdropping programme, saying he believes the president has broken the law.

“Under the Bush administration, there’s been a disgraceful and illegal decision – we’re not going to let the judges or the Congress or anyone else know that we’re spying on the American people,” Carter told reporters.

“And no one knows how many innocent Americans have had their privacy violated under this secret act.”

Democrat Carter made the remarks at a union hall near Las Vegas, where his oldest son, Jack Carter, announced his candidacy for the US Senate.

The former president also rebuked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for telling Congress that the spying programme was allowed under the US Constitution and did not breach the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act passed during Carter’s administration.

Gonzales made the statements in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which began investigating the eavesdropping programme yesterday.

“Obviously, the attorney general who said it’s all right to torture prisoners and so forth is going to support the person who put him in office. But he’s a very partisan attorney general and there’s no doubt that he would say that,” Carter said.

“I hope that eventually the case will go to the Supreme Court. I have no doubt that when it’s over, the Supreme Court will rule that Bush has violated the law.”

The former president said he would testify before the Judiciary Committee if asked.