WASHINGTON — Facing often testy interrogation by lawmakers from both parties, Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales on Monday staunchly defended the National Security Agency's warrantless spying program as a legally justified "early warning system" designed to protect America in a technological age.
Gonzales repeatedly was asked by Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee why President Bush had authorized the spying without asking for changes to existing wiretapping laws -- which outlaw the use of the National Security Agency's powerful intelligence surveillance capabilities on U.S. soil without court approval.
Gonzales responded that the program, approved by Bush after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was "limited and lawful."
Pressed again and again on the issue during eight hours of testimony, Gonzales showed little emotion and no irritation as he parried the skepticism expressed by senators.
The hearing's tone was set at the start as Democrats disputed the decision by Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) not to require Gonzales to testify under oath.
Gonzales expressed a willingness to take the oath, but Specter said it was not necessary, noting that administration officials usually were not sworn in before testifying to Senate committees.
Since the spying program's existence was revealed late last year, Bush has frequently defended its legality. But Gonzales is the highest-ranking administration official to publicly discuss it before Congress.
The contentious questioning directed at Gonzales underscored the administration's failure to make much headway in persuading many lawmakers -- including Republicans -- to accept its legal rationale for the spying. But whether that would spur steps to cause the administration to change the program's operations -- or reveal more details about it -- remained unclear.
Gonzales defended the National Security Agency's monitoring of international communications by suspected terrorists as "the modern equivalent to a scout team sent ahead to do reconnaissance.... As with all wartime operations, speed, agility and secrecy are essential to its success."
But four of the 10 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee joined Democrats in saying they were concerned about the legal underpinnings of the president's order.
