June 2013 was not a particularly great month for the U.S. intelligence community.
After former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified information revealing the extent of U.S. surveillance programs in early June, President Barack Obama and his administration scrambled to justify and downplay the significance of such programs.
On Sunday, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that the U.S. had spied on European Union offices in New York and Washington.
The German news magazine alleged that the NSA installed listening devices in those offices and tapped into computer networks in order to obtain information, according to The New York Times.
Der Spiegel said its information came from documents that Snowden had obtained.
Not surprisingly, allegations of surveillance inflamed many in the European Union community.
“We cannot accept this kind of behavior between partners and allies,” French President Francois Hollande said. “We ask that this immediately stop.”
Taking a chapter from our European counterparts, we at the Daily 49er believe that the NSA should be ashamed of its actions, if these allegations prove true.
Spying on an enemy combatant or warring nation is one thing.
Spying on allies, who have not shown any formal ties to terrorist organizations, is another.
In the wake of this new scandal, it appears that the NSA is involved in more shady practices than many had previously thought.
Spying, it seems, is omnipresent.
While we acknowledge there is a need for spying and sophisticated intelligence gathering, especially concerning issues of global terrorism, NSA’s most recent alleged actions seem both improper and unfounded.
As more and more information about the NSA’s intelligence gathering is made public, we are concerned about what the future holds.
What if more incriminating information about the NSA is released, and what if this information threatens our national security?
There may come a time in the near future when Snowden’s leaks directly impact the safety and security of the U.S.
If Snowden has more, potentially dangerous information that he plans to release, the U.S. should mitigate its concerns by offering him something in return.
No matter what, at some point Obama must intervene in the intelligence crisis and explain not only to the American public but also to U.S. allies in Europe why the culture of spying is so popular within our government.
Call it Big Brother or the NSA, but someone’s always watching.