WASHINGTON, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The U.S. director of national intelligence retracted his claim to a U.S. Senate committee that a new law helped Germany foil an Islamic bombing plot.
Speaking Monday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said the controversial and newly updated Bush administration Protect America Act that allows for warrantless wiretaps on foreign communication that pass through U.S. soil helped start the investigation in Germany last year.
The Los Angeles Times said McConnell came under pressure to explain how the act would have helped when it wasn't law when the German investigation began.
Wednesday night, he issued a statement recanting his testimony.
"The Protect America Act was urgently needed by our intelligence professionals to close critical gaps in our capabilities and permit them to more readily follow terrorist threats, such as the plot uncovered in Germany," he wrote. "However, information contributing to the recent arrests was not collected under authorities provided by the Protect America Act."
