NSA still in hot water
By Marshall Cohen
(CBS News)--The National Security Agency has had a challenging summer, and it appears things are about to get more difficult.
A debate has raged all summer in Washington over surveillance, privacy and national security. It all started in June when NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the agency has, for many years, collected data on phone calls and Internet use by Americans in the United States.
For now, the majority chorus on Capitol Hill has been loud and bipartisan in support of the NSA. During an appearance Sunday on "Face The Nation," Reps. Peter King, R-N.Y., and Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., agreed that the surveillance program plays a vital role in protecting U.S. interests and has saved American lives.
Gen. Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and CIA, also offered a dogged defense of the program Sunday on "Face The Nation." He said the program has not been abused and that the main problem he sees is that the complexities of metadata collection have not been properly explained to the public.
Privacy advocates aren't buying it and critics from both parties oppose the clandestine surveillance.
With pressure mounting, President Barack Obama on Friday announced a series of proposals to increase transparency and reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that authorizes the surveillance programs. Obama also ordered an outside review of the NSA's operation -- a move that triggered a mini-controversy.
It was initially unclear how involved Director of National Intelligence James Clapper would be with the "independent" review panel. NSA critics quickly cried foul, pointing out that Clapper has admitted that he misled Congress about NSA surveillance of U.S. citizens. The White House on Tuesday clarified that Clapper would not lead the panel or play a role in selecting its members.
The Clapper tiff speaks to the sensitivity of the situation at home. Things are equally tense abroad.
Some usual Europe and South America allies have expressed serious concerns amid revelations from Snowden that the United States has been spying on friendly countries. Secretary of State John Kerry traveled this week to Brazil and Colombia, hoping to repair relations during his first visit to Latin America since he took his post as top U.S. diplomat.
The U.S. enjoys strong economic partnerships with Brazil and Colombia. But before Kerry's arrival, lawmakers from both countries demanded to know more about the reach of the surveillance program.
"I am confident that I was able to explain thoroughly precisely how this has received the support of all three branches of our government, it has been completely conducted under our Constitution and the law, and how we have respected the concerns of other countries and will continue to," Kerry said Monday of his meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin.
A few dozen protestors in Brasilia taunted Kerry after his meeting with the Brazilian foreign minister.