Bush: Take bin Laden's threat seriously

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http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-bush26.html

FORT MEADE, Md. -- President Bush, defending the government's secret surveillance program, said Wednesday that Americans should take Osama bin Laden seriously when he says he's going to attack again.

''When he says he's going to hurt the American people again, or try to, he means it,'' Bush told reporters after visiting the top-secret National Security Agency where the surveillance program is based. ''I take it seriously, and the people of NSA take it seriously.''

It was Bush's first comment about bin Laden since the al-Qaida leader warned in a tape aired last week that his fighters are preparing new attacks in the United States. Bin Laden offered a truce, without specifying the conditions, and the White House responded that the United States would never negotiate with the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Durbin speaks out

Four leading Democratic senators, including Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, wrote Bush Wednesday saying they support efforts to do everything possible within the law to combat terrorism, but that the NSA program is an ''apparent violation of federal law.''

Hey Chimp Boy. On exactly what date did the CIA stop financing groups associated with bin Laden? If they ever did that is.