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Cheney says domestic surveillance vital
NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Dick Cheney on Thursday defended the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program, saying it is an essential tool in monitoring al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
Cheney speaks to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research in New York City.
By Spencer Platt, Getty Images
But Cheney stressed that the program was limited and conducted in a way that safeguarded civil liberties.
"A spirit of debate is now underway, and our message to the American people is clear and straightforward: These actions are within the president's authority and responsibility under the Constitution and laws, and these actions are vital to our security," Cheney said at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.