Feinstein gives US a wake-up on spying

In fact, the whole world, including a small group of world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has been waiting for an apology from NSA and from US President Barack Obama. But they have been waiting in vain.

On the contrary, Obama has been unapologetic when it comes to the US surveillance of governments and people outside the US. In his speech on Jan 17, he said the US will not apologize simply because its abilities are greater. The US does not want international rules and norms governing cyberspace given the huge technologcal edge it has in spying on other nations and nationals.

Yet that kind of thinking may well have to change, if other nations, be it China, Russia, Germany or Iran, develop more advanced surveillance technologies than the US. Although of course, we have not seen any other nation becoming as obsessed as the US in spying on others.

On Tuesday, CIA Director John Brennan quickly responded to Feinstein and said the CIA has done nothing wrong. But given that organization's track record few are likely to believe him. Many people in the US are waiting for the Justice Department investigation on Feinstein's allegation, just as they await the full report by the Senate Intelligence Committee to come out to show how CIA has conducted various illegal tortures, such as water-boarding.

It is to be hoped that Feinstein has opened the eyes of at least some in the US that it is wrong for the CIA or NSA to conduct widespread surveillance on people in the US and in other nations.

The author, based in Washington, is deputy editor of China Daily USA. chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily 03/14/2014 page11)