NATIONAL SECURITY - Debate Over NSA Surveillance Program

"Lawmakers Push Back on Scope of NSA Surveillance Program" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 7/17/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  At a hearing on Capitol Hill, Congress members debated the scope of domestic surveillance programs operated by National Security Agency in light of the recent disclosures made by whistleblower Edward Snowden.  Meanwhile, Snowden officially applied for asylum in Russia in a handwritten note.  Jeffrey Brown reports.

JEFFREY BROWN (Newshour):  Edward Snowden was back in the news today, from the U.S. House of Representatives to the Russian far east.  His disclosures of sweeping U.S. surveillance and his continued presence outside Moscow prompted a series of new warnings.

The day's developments began with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military exercise in Siberia, offering his most expansive comments to date on Snowden.

PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, Russia (through translator):  Mr. Snowden, as I understand it, never intended to stay here in Russia forever.  He has even said so himself.  He is a young man, I even don't quite understand how he plans to live his life in the future.  But it is his fate and his choice.

JEFFREY BROWN:  But Putin insisted again those choices will not be allowed to harm relations with the U.S.

VLADIMIR PUTIN (through translator):  Bilateral relations, in my opinion, are far more important than squabbles about the activities of the secret services.

JEFFREY BROWN:  Snowden formally applied yesterday, in a handwritten letter, for temporary asylum in Russia.

For now, he remains holed up at an airport outside Moscow.  And despite Putin's statement, an attorney for the former NSA contractor said today he expects that petition to be granted.

"Were Snowden’s Actions Justified?  Daniel Ellsberg, Michael Mukasey Debate" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 7/17/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  When Edward Snowden exposed the existence of some of the National Security Agency’s intelligence gathering operations, did he help or harm America?  Jeffrey Brown gets debate from Daniel Ellsberg, co-author of the famous internal Defense Department study "The Pentagon Papers," and former Attorney General Michael Mukasey.