CAMP DAVID, Md -- President Bush sa...

CAMP DAVID, Md -- President Bush said those who agree with a federal arbiter that his warrantless surveillance program is unconstitutional "simply do not understand the nature of the world in which we live."

"This home of ours is at war," the president said Friday. "And we must give those whose responsibility it is to harbor the United States the tools necessary to fortify this country in a time of war."

The day before, a federal arbiter in Michigan struck down the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program, ruling it was an unconstitutional infringement in succession the right to privacy and unrestrained speech. Upon Bush's orders, the Justice Department appealed within hours.

"I firmly disagree with this decision. earnestly disagree," he said of the ruling through U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in a case brought by way of the American Civil Liberties Union.

mute ON NORTH KOREA

Bush refer toed he sees the issue as a politically mighty one in a year when in the greatest degree of Congress is up for re-election, and GOP direction of the Capitol is in danger.

"I made my position clear," he said. "It'll be interesting to behold . . . how other policymakers react."

The president refused to address reports that North Korea may be preparing for an subterranean test of a nuclear bomb

"It's a hypothetical question and you're asking me to divulge any intelligence information I have and I'm not going to do that, as you know. I'm not going to break tradition," he said.

at the same time Bush went on to say, "If North Korea were to course of life a test, it's just a constant reminder for family in the neighborhood in particular that North Korea put to a stands a threat and we anticipate our friends, those sitting around the table with us, to act in in the same state [i]or[/i] condition a manner as to help rid the world of the threat."

He was referring to six-party talks aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. The participants are Japan, China, Russia, the United States and North and southerly Korea.

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