Judge rules warrantless wiretaps unconstitutional

A federal judge ruled today that warrantless wiretaps were unconstitutional. Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the government does not have the right to tap phone lines unless there is court order. The government argued that this tool is a necessary and legal tool. Pres. Bush said that he disagreed with the ruling and that those who believe this do not understand the nature of the threat that terrorism poses to the United States. Bush authorized the National Security Agency to conduct warrantless wiretaps on international phone calls in which there were individuals connected with known terrorist organizations. He also made sure that there were regular inspections to make sure that civil liberties were protected. It was a program that was considered to have the most monitoring of any program to minimize the likelyhood of abuse. The Justice Department is expected to appeal the decision to the US Court of Appeals.