Follow the Logic
1) Dick Cheney says:
Vice President Richard Cheney said the September 11 attacks on the United States could have been averted, if the government had the power to monitor electronic communications inside the country.'It's the kind of capability if we'd had before 9/11 might have led us to be able to prevent 9/11,' Cheney said in an interview with ABC's 'Nightline' program.
2) The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits such the monitoring of electronic communications inside the country upon issuance of a court order or for a period of 72 hours in emergency situations without a court order.
3) On August 6, 2001, The President received a Presidential Daily Briefing entitled Bin Laden determined to strike in US.
4) Ergo, the September 11 attacks on the United States might have been averted if the administration had exercised the power granted to it under the Foreign Surveillance Act.
QED.