Negroponte, Goss and Mueller testify on surveillance

(3 Feb 2006) 1. Various of wide of officials seated to testify during hearing 2. SOUNDBITE (English) General Michael Hayden, US Deputy National Intelligence Director: "That the programme has been successful, that we have learned information from this programme that would not otherwise have been available. That this information has helped detect and prevent terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad." 3. Wide of Senate Intelligence Committee members 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bob Mueller, FBI Director: "And I can say that leads from that programme have been valuable in identifying would-be terrorists in the United States." 5. Wide of Senate Intelligence Committee members 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Porter Goss, CIA Director: "But I would say that the consequences of these leaks, I'm happy to have your question to respond, and I'm sorry to tell you that the damage has been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission." 7. Mid shot of Committee member asking question 8. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Pat Roberts, Republican, Intelligence Committee Chairman: "I cannot imagine how anybody who would be receiving a call from a terrorist cell, where we have reason to believe that they are going to attack the United States, and that person happened to be in the United States, that they would think their civil liberty was being violated if some intelligence or law enforcement person was not monitoring that call. It would be indefensible if we did not. And, in addition, I would only point out that you really don't have any civil liberties if you're dead." 9. Wide of Senate Intelligence Committee members 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat from Oregon: "(Your) Answer is essentially, 'trust us. Congress and the public just have to trust us.' And Ronald Reagan put it very well. He said, 'trust but verify.' And we have no way to verify that citizens are being protected the way you have outlined today." 11. Wide as officials stand at end of hearing STORYLINE: US National Intelligence Director John Negroponte and his top deputy fiercely defended President George Bush's authorisation allowing the government to eavesdrop - without first obtaining warrants - on international communications of people on US soil who may be linked to al-Qaida. "The programme has been successful, that we have learned information from this programme that would not otherwise have been available. That this information has helped detect and prevent terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad," said Negroponte's deputy, General Michael Hayden. Neither Negroponte nor Hayden would say publicly how many people have been monitored. Nor would they offer details on attacks that have been averted. FBI Director Bob Mueller said information gained from the eavesdropping programme had, "been valuable in identifying would-be terrorists in the United States." President Bush authorised the programme soon after the September 11 terror attacks on the US. It first came to light in December 2005 when the New York Times reported on the clandestine operation. CIA Director Porter Goss said on Thursday that the damage caused by bringing the operation into public knowledge had, "been very severe to our capabilities to carry out our mission." Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, said the intelligence gathering community was asking for too much blind trust from both Congress and the public. "We have no way to verify that citizens are being protected the way you have outlined today," Wyden said. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...