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NSA chief says data disrupted 'dozens' of plots NSA chief says data disrupted 'dozens' of plots
(35 minutes later)
The head of the US electronic spying agency has defended the massive surveillance programmes newly revealed by a former intelligence worker. The US electronic spying chief has said massive surveillance programmes newly revealed by an ex-intelligence worker had disrupted dozens of terror plots.
In a US Senate hearing, National Security Agency (NSA) Director Keith Alexander said the programmes had disrupted dozens of terror plots. In a US Senate hearing, National Security Agency (NSA) Director Keith Alexander defended the internet and telephone data snooping programmes.
And US Secretary of State John Kerry said they showed a "delicate but vital balance" between privacy and security. Also, US Secretary of State John Kerry said they showed a "delicate but vital balance" between privacy and security.
The programmes were revealed in newspaper accounts last week.
Meanwhile, the leaker has pledged to fight extradition to the US.Meanwhile, the leaker has pledged to fight extradition to the US.
Edward Snowden fled his home in Hawaii for Hong Kong shortly before reports of top secret programmes were published by the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers last week. Edward Snowden fled his home in Hawaii for Hong Kong shortly before reports of the top secret programmes were published by the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers last week.
The 29-year-old former CIA and NSA contract worker has admitted giving the newspapers information about NSA programmes to seize vast quantities of data on telephone calls and internet communications from US internet and telephone companies. The 29-year-old former CIA and NSA contract worker has admitted giving the newspapers information about NSA programmes that seize vast quantities of data on telephone calls and internet communications from US internet and telephone companies.
US officials have confirmed the programmes exist, with President Barack Obama saying they were overseen by Congress and the courts. US officials have confirmed the programmes exist, with President Barack Obama saying they were closely overseen by Congress and the courts.
'Compliance and oversight' Intelligence officials have insisted agents do not listen in on Americans' telephone conversations. And they maintain the internet communications surveillance programme, reportedly code-named Prism, targeted only non-Americans located outside of the US.
And officials have defended the programmes as vital national security tools. 'Americans will die'
Meanwhile, they have defended the programmes as vital national security tools.
"It's dozens of terrorist events that these have helped prevent," Gen Alexander said on Wednesday at a hearing of the US Senate intelligence committee."It's dozens of terrorist events that these have helped prevent," Gen Alexander said on Wednesday at a hearing of the US Senate intelligence committee.
And he backed the workers who run the programmes. Gen Alexander said intelligence officials were "trying to be transparent" about the programme, and would brief the Senate intelligence committee behind closed doors before any other information became public.
"Our nation has invested a lot in these people. They do this lawfully. They take compliance oversight, protecting civil liberties, privacy and security of this nation to their heart every day," he said. But the NSA chief said some details would remain classified "because if we tell the terrorists every way that we're going to track them, they will get through and Americans will die".
He added that he would rather be criticised by people who believed he was hiding something "than jeopardise the security of this country".
Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, asked whether it was true or false that the NSA could, as Mr Snowden had claimed, "tap into virtually any American's phone calls or emails" including the US president's.
"False," Gen Alexander responded. "I know of no way to do that."
But Gen Alexander said the agency needed to investigate how Mr Snowden, a relatively low-ranking contract employee, had been able to obtain and leak such sensitive information.But Gen Alexander said the agency needed to investigate how Mr Snowden, a relatively low-ranking contract employee, had been able to obtain and leak such sensitive information.
The processes "absolutely need to be looked at," he told lawmakers. The processes "absolutely need to be looked at", he told lawmakers.
"In the IT arena, in the cyber arena, some of these folks have tremendous skills to operate networks.""In the IT arena, in the cyber arena, some of these folks have tremendous skills to operate networks."
Some members of Congress have acknowledged they had been unaware of the scope of the programmes, having skipped previous briefings offered by the intelligence committees.
"I think Congress has really found itself a little bit asleep at the wheel," New York Representative Steve Cohen, a Democrat, said.
'False statements'
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, who warned about the programmes last year, has accused Director of National Intelligence James Clapper of misleading a Senate committee in March when he denied that the NSA collected data on millions of Americans.
Republican Justin Amash has called for Mr Clapper to resign, saying Congress could not make informed decisions "when the head of the intelligence community wilfully makes false statements".
The information leaked by Mr Snowden has undoubtedly angered the US government, but so far he has not been charged by the authorities, nor is he the subject of an extradition request.The information leaked by Mr Snowden has undoubtedly angered the US government, but so far he has not been charged by the authorities, nor is he the subject of an extradition request.
European leaders have also expressed concerns over the scale of the programmes and have demanded to know whether the rights of EU citizens had been infringed.European leaders have also expressed concerns over the scale of the programmes and have demanded to know whether the rights of EU citizens had been infringed.
Meanwhile, in a news conference alongside UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, Mr Kerry said: "With respect to privacy, freedom and the constitution I think over time, this will withstand scrutiny and people will understand it."Meanwhile, in a news conference alongside UK Foreign Secretary William Hague, Mr Kerry said: "With respect to privacy, freedom and the constitution I think over time, this will withstand scrutiny and people will understand it."