Twenty-one nations in the UN have lined up behind Germany and Brazil to draft a General Resolution on Internet privacy after revelations, sourced to political exile Edward Snowden, about America eavesdropping on three dozen foreign leaders, friends and adversaries alike. NSA may have begun intercepting German Chancellor Angela Merkel's communications as early as 2002. When Merkel called the Obamanation last week to complain about US spying among friends, he said he did not know of the German intercepts but White House records show he was informed of the foreign leader intercepts this summer. The spying agency attempted to push back against the fallout in congressional testimony by saying European governments provided the information necessary to carryout the electronic surveillance. However, the NSA is loosing congressional support. Senator Diane Feinstein, usually the agency's biggest supporter, said the spying was unacceptable calling it a "big problem" and announcing that her committee will initiate a review into all intelligence collection programs. Whether her surprise at the extent of the spying operations was real or a political feint is hard to judge, but one former intelligence official said "it's an absolute joke to think she [Chairman Feinstein] hasn't been reading the signals intelligence intercepts". Either way, the worm has turned as opponents of NSA are scrambling to introduce a bill in Congress to limit the massive data collection under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Even perpetual hawk, John McCain, is calling for a special select committee to investigate U.S. spying. But the Current Occupant is having none of it. The administration, supposedly a progressive one that is concerned about human rights including privacy, has consistently maintained that the huge spying program which is metastasizing beyond oversight is legal, effective and necessary more than ten years after the terror incident which gave birth to the American fascist security state.Wednesday, October 30, 2013
World vs. the National Security Agency
Twenty-one nations in the UN have lined up behind Germany and Brazil to draft a General Resolution on Internet privacy after revelations, sourced to political exile Edward Snowden, about America eavesdropping on three dozen foreign leaders, friends and adversaries alike. NSA may have begun intercepting German Chancellor Angela Merkel's communications as early as 2002. When Merkel called the Obamanation last week to complain about US spying among friends, he said he did not know of the German intercepts but White House records show he was informed of the foreign leader intercepts this summer. The spying agency attempted to push back against the fallout in congressional testimony by saying European governments provided the information necessary to carryout the electronic surveillance. However, the NSA is loosing congressional support. Senator Diane Feinstein, usually the agency's biggest supporter, said the spying was unacceptable calling it a "big problem" and announcing that her committee will initiate a review into all intelligence collection programs. Whether her surprise at the extent of the spying operations was real or a political feint is hard to judge, but one former intelligence official said "it's an absolute joke to think she [Chairman Feinstein] hasn't been reading the signals intelligence intercepts". Either way, the worm has turned as opponents of NSA are scrambling to introduce a bill in Congress to limit the massive data collection under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Even perpetual hawk, John McCain, is calling for a special select committee to investigate U.S. spying. But the Current Occupant is having none of it. The administration, supposedly a progressive one that is concerned about human rights including privacy, has consistently maintained that the huge spying program which is metastasizing beyond oversight is legal, effective and necessary more than ten years after the terror incident which gave birth to the American fascist security state.