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Bush urges wiretap immunity law Bush urges wiretap immunity law
(20 minutes later)
President George W Bush has urged Congress to pass a bill to help eavesdrop on US telecommunications linked to terror investigations. President George W Bush has urged the passing of a bill to retroactively shield telecommunications firms that helped a government wiretap programme.
At the White House, he said the renewal of the expired intelligence law on wiretapping was an "urgent priority". He called on the House of Representatives to approve the law, already passed by the Senate.
The legislation would give retroactive legal immunity to telecoms firms that helped the government after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. The Protect America Act - which permits US authorities to tap phone calls and e-mails routed through the US without a warrant - expired on 17 February.
Mr Bush warned the programme was "vital to our national security". Lawsuits have been filed against the firms alleging violation of privacy.
The Protect America Act allows the US authorities to tap into phone calls and e-mails routed through the US - without a warrant - and was passed last August and lapsed earlier this month. Mr Bush said it would be "dangerous" if the legislation - introduced by the government after the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US - was not renewed.
But the act did not grant immunity to the firms which co-operated with the programme set up by the Bush administration after the 9-11 attacks. He told the White House on Tuesday any lawsuits against telecommunications firms would allow al-Qaeda to scrutinise US intelligence methods and gift them a "roadmap on how to avoid the surveillance".
Several lawsuits have since been filed against the companies by campaigners over violation of privacy laws.
Mr Bush told the White House on Tuesday such lawsuits would allow al-Qaeda to scrutinise US intelligence methods and gift them a "roadmap on how to avoid the surveillance".