SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
General Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, appears before the House Select Intelligence Committee June 18, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty images)
US Defense of Vast EU Spying by NSA: 'Everyone Else Is Doing It'
Europeans should not expect US spy agencies to honor their privacy, says former NSA and CIA chief
Jul 01, 2013
The US response to the latest revelations about its vast global surveillance programs amounts to the plaintive and familiar cry from the teenager caught in the act: 'Everyone else is doing it.'
News reports over the weekend from both Der Speigel in Germany and the UK's Guardian sparked outrage among EU countries after new documents made available by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden showed the NSA has been spying on many of its European allies, bugging their offices and tapping into their computer networks.
Following the reports, German officials accused the US of treating it "like a cold war enemy" and Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, said he was "deeply worried and shocked" over the allegations, and demanded a "full clarification" from the US regarding the allegations.
But on Sunday, the office of the NSA's director put out a press statement saying that the US foreign spying programs against its so-called allies is "of the of the type gathered by all nations."
Adding to the it's-ok-that-we-do-it-because-they-do-it argument on Sunday was former NSA chief Michael Hayden, who appeared on CBS' Face the Nation and said European officials blasting the US "should look first and find out what their own governments are doing."
Hayden defended US espionage by saying that the US Fourth Amendment, which is designed to protect the privacy of US citizens, does not extend to foreign citizens. That protection, he said, "Is not an international treaty."
The statement from NSA on Sunday did not deny any aspects of the news reporting about the bugging of the offices or the hacking of computer systems and said only that the US would address the charges through direct channels with the countries involved.
_______________________________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The US response to the latest revelations about its vast global surveillance programs amounts to the plaintive and familiar cry from the teenager caught in the act: 'Everyone else is doing it.'
News reports over the weekend from both Der Speigel in Germany and the UK's Guardian sparked outrage among EU countries after new documents made available by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden showed the NSA has been spying on many of its European allies, bugging their offices and tapping into their computer networks.
Following the reports, German officials accused the US of treating it "like a cold war enemy" and Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, said he was "deeply worried and shocked" over the allegations, and demanded a "full clarification" from the US regarding the allegations.
But on Sunday, the office of the NSA's director put out a press statement saying that the US foreign spying programs against its so-called allies is "of the of the type gathered by all nations."
Adding to the it's-ok-that-we-do-it-because-they-do-it argument on Sunday was former NSA chief Michael Hayden, who appeared on CBS' Face the Nation and said European officials blasting the US "should look first and find out what their own governments are doing."
Hayden defended US espionage by saying that the US Fourth Amendment, which is designed to protect the privacy of US citizens, does not extend to foreign citizens. That protection, he said, "Is not an international treaty."
The statement from NSA on Sunday did not deny any aspects of the news reporting about the bugging of the offices or the hacking of computer systems and said only that the US would address the charges through direct channels with the countries involved.
_______________________________________
The US response to the latest revelations about its vast global surveillance programs amounts to the plaintive and familiar cry from the teenager caught in the act: 'Everyone else is doing it.'
News reports over the weekend from both Der Speigel in Germany and the UK's Guardian sparked outrage among EU countries after new documents made available by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden showed the NSA has been spying on many of its European allies, bugging their offices and tapping into their computer networks.
Following the reports, German officials accused the US of treating it "like a cold war enemy" and Martin Schulz, the president of the European Parliament, said he was "deeply worried and shocked" over the allegations, and demanded a "full clarification" from the US regarding the allegations.
But on Sunday, the office of the NSA's director put out a press statement saying that the US foreign spying programs against its so-called allies is "of the of the type gathered by all nations."
Adding to the it's-ok-that-we-do-it-because-they-do-it argument on Sunday was former NSA chief Michael Hayden, who appeared on CBS' Face the Nation and said European officials blasting the US "should look first and find out what their own governments are doing."
Hayden defended US espionage by saying that the US Fourth Amendment, which is designed to protect the privacy of US citizens, does not extend to foreign citizens. That protection, he said, "Is not an international treaty."
The statement from NSA on Sunday did not deny any aspects of the news reporting about the bugging of the offices or the hacking of computer systems and said only that the US would address the charges through direct channels with the countries involved.
_______________________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.