Mar 04, 2014
Alexander told the Georgetown University audience that he was in the midst of seeking congressional backing for a cybersecurity bill. However, he intoned that the legislation was being held up by another potential bill regarding "media leaks."
"I think we are going to make headway over the next few weeks on media leaks. I am an optimist. I think if we make the right steps on the media leaks legislation, then cyber legislation will be a lot easier," Alexander said.
The Guardian's Spencer Ackerman reports:
The specific legislation to which Alexander referred was unclear. Angela Canterbury, the policy director for the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group, said she was unaware of any such bill. Neither was Steve Aftergood, an intelligence policy analyst at the Federation of American Scientists.
The NSA's public affairs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald--whose partner David Miranda was recently detained by British authorities at Heathrow airport while shuttling information regarding the Snowden leaks--responded to the news on Twitter:
During the talk, Alexander referenced a recent UK court ruling that said Miranda's nine-hour detention was lawful. Alexander's comments further reflected his opinion of media reporting on leaks regarding the NSA's extensive dragnet operations.
"Recently, what came out with the justices in the United Kingdom ... they looked at what happened on Miranda and other things, and they said it's interesting: journalists have no standing when it comes to national security issues. They don't know how to weigh the fact of what they're giving out and saying, is it in the nation's interest to divulge this," Alexander said.
Alexander also indicated that the federal government should take steps to prevent any other future instances of whistleblowers, saying government agencies need to better prepare their employees so they don't overstep their boundaries when accessing information.
"They need to know their limits of authority," he said.
Though reporters were invited to the conference, following his talk members of the media were prohibited from questioning Alexander.
_____________________
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. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Alexander told the Georgetown University audience that he was in the midst of seeking congressional backing for a cybersecurity bill. However, he intoned that the legislation was being held up by another potential bill regarding "media leaks."
"I think we are going to make headway over the next few weeks on media leaks. I am an optimist. I think if we make the right steps on the media leaks legislation, then cyber legislation will be a lot easier," Alexander said.
The Guardian's Spencer Ackerman reports:
The specific legislation to which Alexander referred was unclear. Angela Canterbury, the policy director for the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group, said she was unaware of any such bill. Neither was Steve Aftergood, an intelligence policy analyst at the Federation of American Scientists.
The NSA's public affairs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald--whose partner David Miranda was recently detained by British authorities at Heathrow airport while shuttling information regarding the Snowden leaks--responded to the news on Twitter:
During the talk, Alexander referenced a recent UK court ruling that said Miranda's nine-hour detention was lawful. Alexander's comments further reflected his opinion of media reporting on leaks regarding the NSA's extensive dragnet operations.
"Recently, what came out with the justices in the United Kingdom ... they looked at what happened on Miranda and other things, and they said it's interesting: journalists have no standing when it comes to national security issues. They don't know how to weigh the fact of what they're giving out and saying, is it in the nation's interest to divulge this," Alexander said.
Alexander also indicated that the federal government should take steps to prevent any other future instances of whistleblowers, saying government agencies need to better prepare their employees so they don't overstep their boundaries when accessing information.
"They need to know their limits of authority," he said.
Though reporters were invited to the conference, following his talk members of the media were prohibited from questioning Alexander.
_____________________
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Alexander told the Georgetown University audience that he was in the midst of seeking congressional backing for a cybersecurity bill. However, he intoned that the legislation was being held up by another potential bill regarding "media leaks."
"I think we are going to make headway over the next few weeks on media leaks. I am an optimist. I think if we make the right steps on the media leaks legislation, then cyber legislation will be a lot easier," Alexander said.
The Guardian's Spencer Ackerman reports:
The specific legislation to which Alexander referred was unclear. Angela Canterbury, the policy director for the Project on Government Oversight, a watchdog group, said she was unaware of any such bill. Neither was Steve Aftergood, an intelligence policy analyst at the Federation of American Scientists.
The NSA's public affairs office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald--whose partner David Miranda was recently detained by British authorities at Heathrow airport while shuttling information regarding the Snowden leaks--responded to the news on Twitter:
During the talk, Alexander referenced a recent UK court ruling that said Miranda's nine-hour detention was lawful. Alexander's comments further reflected his opinion of media reporting on leaks regarding the NSA's extensive dragnet operations.
"Recently, what came out with the justices in the United Kingdom ... they looked at what happened on Miranda and other things, and they said it's interesting: journalists have no standing when it comes to national security issues. They don't know how to weigh the fact of what they're giving out and saying, is it in the nation's interest to divulge this," Alexander said.
Alexander also indicated that the federal government should take steps to prevent any other future instances of whistleblowers, saying government agencies need to better prepare their employees so they don't overstep their boundaries when accessing information.
"They need to know their limits of authority," he said.
Though reporters were invited to the conference, following his talk members of the media were prohibited from questioning Alexander.
_____________________
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.