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Curated research library of TV news clips regarding the NSA, its oversight and privacy issues, 2009-2014

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Primary curation & research: Robin Chin, Internet Archive TV News Researcher; using Internet Archive TV News service.

Speakers

Jonathan Landay
Senior National Security and intelligence Correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers
MSNBCW 07/31/2014
Landay: So according to the CIA, John Brennan, because of the seriousness of Senator Feinstein's allegations, asked the CIA Inspector General David Buckley to conduct an internal review of the allegations. And what Buckley came up with was the fact is are findings that a number of CIA officials, attorneys and IT specialists inappropriately accessed a database that was supposed to be accessed only by the senate committee staff by agreement of the CIA. Now I think the CIA will dispute the way a lot of people are interpreting the finding here
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John Brennan
Director of the CIA
MSNBCW 07/31/2014
Landay: The question is whether or not the CIA had hacked into this computer in an effort to thwart the committee's investigation and John Brennan said absolutely not. The definition of the word hack may be what's at play here because at least as far as the CIA is concerned they can't hack into their own computer system. This was a system that the CIA provided to the Senate staff, but I suspect that a lot of people are going to say that's splitting hairs and indeed, the CIA did hack into this system to determine whether or not the CIA had an internal review of the interrogation program, that according to Senator Feinstein and others, actually confirmed the findings of the Senate's own report.
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Mark Udall
Senator (D-Colorado) Member of Select Committee on Intelligence
MSNBCW 07/31/2014
Wagner: Senator Udall issued a statement that says ”I have lost confidence in John Brennan. I am concerned about the director's apparent inability to find any flaws in the agency he leads.” The White House is defending John Brennan, but one would imagine that the Senators on this intelligence committee are not going to let it simply end here with an apology from John Brennan. Landay: Well, I suspect not. Because you've already had several senators including Senator Wyden demanding to know, having a clear accountability of what happened, who, perhaps, ordered this intrusion. How it happened. I think there will probably be some internal wrangling over this, because look, the White House has said, John Brennan has said, and a lot of people on Capitol Hill have said they want to get this report out and put this entire matter behind them.
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Jonathan Landay
Senior National Security and intelligence Correspondent, McClatchy Newspapers
MSNBCW 07/31/2014
Wagner: (from the leaked state department talking points on this report) One of the questions is doesn't the report, the senate intelligence report, make clear that at least some who authorized or participated in the rendition, detention and interrogation program committed crimes? They ask again, whether the justice department will revisit the decision not to prosecute anyone. There could be criminal charges here, Jonathan. Landay: We'll have to wait and see and the state department of course, is going to have to answer overseas to other governments demanding to know what's in this report. there are governments that will be implicated in this report for hosting black sites and also it's very curious because you know, when the justice department issued its statement saying that it has no -- insufficient evidence to pursue criminal investigations, it added, quote,” at this time” unquote. Wagner: indeed. Landay: And so, indeed, it appears to have left the door open for possible -- for a possible further investigation of this matter.
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John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: Very disturbed. There's two issues here. One is the whole issue of torture in what went on during those years, in my view, were shameful because actions that were taken that clearly violated the Geneva convention of which we are signatory as for treatment of prisoners is concerned, and we outlawed that as an amendment of ours on the defense authorization bill. It was outlawed. The President signed the bill. So although it was important to go back and review the exact things that happened and have the Congress and the American people understand it so we would never do it again. It's my hope and belief.
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John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: Then there's another issue. That is that a legally constituted carrying out the senate responsibilities of the senate intelligence committee, they were carry out an investigation. That is not just -- it's not a pleasure. It's their responsibility to give it. That's what Congress is supposed to be. That's what our constitution calls for so clearly without a doubt now, the destructive CIA has quote apologized. They work spied upon and maybe perhaps even impeded by another agency, another branch of government who vociferously denied that that was taking place on a number of occasions. This is to me the utmost seriousness.
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John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: What did the Director of the CIA know, and when did he know it? and what action did he take if he knew about it? And if he didn't know about it, why in the world didn't he know that people under his direct area of responsibility were violating the fundamental barriers of constitutional authority and responsibility. I think it's of the most seriousness. I think, I think I'd like to give them a chance to respond how this happened, why it happened, et cetera. but if we don't hold the Director of the CIA responsible for this, and I don't know what, where responsibility could lie.
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John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: I really never believed, I never believed that an agency of government, particularly with the capabilities of the CIA, would carry out such actions, which is a clearly unconstitutional -- it's, in some ways it's worse than criminal. How can we be confident that the -- that our responsibilities are able to be carried out without interference from the Executive Branch of government? And the way, frankly, the Presidential spokesman yesterday just kind of, just dismissed it out of hand. That is even more appalling to me.
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Lindsey Graham
U.S. Senator (R-SC),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
Graham: So number one, let’s let the dust settle and find out how in March the CIA Director said it was just beyond the pale to believe this would happen. A few months later, I guess it did. That's not a vote of confidence in the CIA Director. If you tell the public that something, an accusation against your agency is beyond the pale and some independent groups says, by the way you actually did what you were charged with and you don't know. That makes me wonder else doesn't he know. I’ve long since believed we need a new CIA Director. This is just the last in a string of events. this CIA has brought the proposition forwarded if you could kill the five top al-Qaeda leaders, that would be the end of al-Qaeda. So I just don't really have a lot of confidence in the CIA Director.
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Lindsey Graham
U.S. Senator (R-SC),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
Graham: Now, the average American is wondering, why do we care, or why should we care about how you treat a detainee, particularly a radical Islamist? You have ISIS cutting people's heads off who are attending church and putting them on a power line. You’ve got all kinds of barbaric things going on in Syria and Iraq. That's not the standard for America. I’ve been a military lawyer for over 31 years. This man has actually been held by a vicious enemy, who could care less about any rules. The goal of Senator McCain and myself is to make sure that we don't compare ourselves to them. That we compare ourselves to who we are and the Geneva convention that we all adhere to (and actually lead the way.)
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