Leader of the House Intelligence Committee said the NSA was following orders given by the administration.
The leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees have said that the National Security Agency has been following orders in its efforts to collect email and phone records of both American and foreign nationals.
The NSA was following directions given by political leaders of the United States, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
In addition, Mike Rogers, R-Mich., leader of the House Intelligence Committee, said the agency was following orders given by the administration, the National Security Council and other Cabinet members.
“The question isn’t how you reign in the NSA,” he said.
“It is the NSA, the CIA and others’ charge to make that zero [deaths from terrorist attacks] happen here. Zero. That’s our standard,” he said. “And so, what we’ve asked them to do is go out and collect information that protects America.”
The NSA has come under harsh criticism following disclosures by its former contractor Edward Snowden which have shown the agency is conducting massive surveillance on US citizens and foreign nationals including the heads of states of some of Washington’s closest allies in Europe.
The senators’ defense of the NSA came as senior intelligence officials are irritated by the Obama administration’s recent attempts to distance itself from the agency’s snooping on world leaders.
In addition, Feinstein and Rogers rejected a plea for clemency by Snowden who has said the international community can persuade the US government to drop spying charges against him. The former intelligence contractor, who has received temporary asylum in Russia, is wanted in the United States on espionage charges.
“He’s done this enormous disservice to our country, and I think the answer is no clemency,” Feinstein said.
Rogers also called clemency for Snowden a “terrible idea.” “He needs to come back and own up.”
AT/HJ
Source: Press TV