US appeals ruling halting eavesdropping program

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday that it has appealed an order by a federal judge in Detroit to halt the National Security Agency's program of domestic eavesdropping.

"Because the terrorist surveillance program is an essential tool for the intelligence community in the war on terror, the Department of Justice has appealed the District Court's order," it said in a statement, adding that the department believes the program is "lawful and protects civil liberties."