Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Congress Distances Itself Away From The U.S. Intellgience Community



Intel Chiefs Defend NSA As Congress Considers Changes -- MSNBC

Stripping the National Security Agency of its ability to collect the communications data of American citizens would enable terrorists to strike the United States, the head of the NSA told Congress Tuesday.

“They didn’t stop hating us,” Keith Alexander told the House intelligence committee, admonishing lawmakers not to “give up a program that would result in this nation being attacked.”

Tuesday’s intelligence committee hearing offered a forum for top national security officials to continue to defend the NSA’s activities against a growing backlash at home and abroad, as legislators consider proposals that could significantly curtail the NSA’s data collection activities–or allow them to continue. Alexander and the other officials on the panel made their opposition to any significant changes known.

“We only work within the law,” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the intelligence committee. “The rigorous oversight we’ve been under has been effective.”

Read more ....

More News On Congress Preparing To review And Assess U.S. Intelligence Operations

Senate committee begins debate on bill to curtail mass surveillance -- Kansas City/McClatchy News
Feinstein, McCain Get Off the NSA Bus -- Huffington Post
NSA: Dianne Feinstein breaks ranks to oppose US spying on allies -- The Guardian
Feinstein ‘totally opposed’ to spying on foreign leaders -- Washington Post
US spying: Senate intelligence committee orders review -- BBC
Lawmakers: US spy programs may have gone too far -- AP
Obama ‘Should Have Known’ About Spying on Allies, Senator Says -- ABC News

My Comment: The politicians in Congress are sensing the shift in public opinion .... and that opinion is going against U.S. intelligence and surveillance programs. Even the President himself has thrown the intelligence community "under the bus".

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