US Missed Intelligence

After congress failed to extend FISA, the US was no longer to wiretap phone lines, chat rooms, etc...without a warrant. Now US General Attorney and Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell have criticized congress for their failure, saying the US missed days of intelligence on terrorists.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. spy agencies have missed intelligence in the days since terrorism surveillance legislation expired, the Bush administration said on Friday, but Democrats accused it of fear mongering and blamed it for any gaps.

U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell fired the latest shot in the administration's battle with Congress to obtain new legislation to wiretap terrorism suspects.

The officials told Congress telecommunications firms have been reluctant to cooperate with new wiretaps since six-month temporary legislation expired last weekend.

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"We have lost intelligence information this past week as a direct result of the uncertainty created by Congress' failure to act," the two officials told House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes in a letter.

They urged Reyes, a Texas Democrat, to reconsider his opposition to legislation passed last week by the Senate.

But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Republican lawmakers and the administration had failed to participate on Friday in congressional staff negotiations over the bill, and noted President George W. Bush opposed extending the temporary act.

"The president and congressional Republicans have only themselves to blame," for any missed intelligence, said Pelosi, a California Democrat.

The measure passed by the Senate would provide retroactive lawsuit immunity to firms which cooperated with warrantless wiretaps that Bush authorized after the September 11 attacks.