Poll finds opposition to wiretaps without court warrant

WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans wants the Bush administration to obtain court approval before eavesdropping on people inside the United States, even if those calls might involve suspected terrorists, an AP-Ipsos poll shows.

President Bush and top aides have defended the electronic-monitoring program, launched secretly soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and have expressed a belief that Americans support it as a vital tool to protect the nation from al-Qaida and its affiliates.

During a New Year's Day visit to San Antonio, Bush said, "I think most Americans understand the need to find out what the enemy's thinking."

Twelve days earlier, Vice President Dick Cheney dismissed the idea that Americans were concerned about the issue, saying "the vast majority" supports the administration's surveillance policies.

Yet 56 percent of respondents in an AP-Ipsos poll said the National Security Agency (NSA) should be required to first obtain a court warrant to eavesdrop on overseas calls and e-mail of U.S. citizens when those communications are believed to be tied to terrorism. Some 42 percent of those surveyed did not believe court approval is necessary.

Age matters in how people view the monitoring, according to the poll. Nearly two-thirds of those between 18 to 29 believe warrants should be required, while people 65 or older are evenly divided.

Party affiliation is a factor, too. Almost three-fourths of Democrats and one-third of Republicans want to require court warrants.

Charles Franklin, a political-science professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said most people think the eavesdropping is aimed at foreign terrorists, even when the surveillance is conducted inside the country. "They are willing to give the president quite a lot of leeway on this when it comes to the war on terror," said Franklin, who closely follows public opinion.

Some members of Congress have raised concerns about the president's actions, but no lawmaker who has been briefed on the program has called for its immediate halt.

Earlier comments by Bush and Cheney were provided by Seattle Times archives.