The US Senate Judiciary Committee issued subpoenas on Wednesday
to the White House and the office of Vice President Dick Cheney for
documents about the warrantless eavesdropping program.
The committee also subpoenaed the Justice Department and the
National Security Council over the program, which President George
W. Bush authorized shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"Our attempts to obtain information through testimony of
administration witnesses have been met with a consistent pattern of
evasion and misdirection," Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy,
chairman of the committee, said in letters for the subpoenas.
He said there was no legitimate argument for withholding the
requested materials from the committee.
The four parties subpoenaed were asked to comply before July
18.
The panel was seeking documents about internal disputes within
the administration about the legality of the program.
In December 2005, The New York Times disclosed that
soon after the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush authorized a highly
classified program, without seeking approval from a special
foreign-intelligence surveillance court, that allows the National
Security Agency to monitor, without court warrants, international
telephone calls and e-mails of US citizens with ties to al Qaeda
suspects abroad.
The disclosure of the spying program caused a political uproar
in Washington, and congressional hearings were held to investigate
its legality.
After the program was challenged in court, the administration
earlier this year put it under the supervision of the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Court.
At the White House, spokesman Tony Fratto said they were aware
of the committee's action and "will respond appropriately."
"It's unfortunate that congressional Democrats continue to
choose the route of confrontation," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 28, 2007)
