Challenge for Congress and the NSA This Wednesday: Re-establishing the Rule of Law

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley/challenge-for-congress-an_b_3671274.html

 

Coleen Rowley

Former FBI Special Agent

Challenge for Congress and the NSA This Wednesday: Re-establishing the Rule of Law

Posted: 07/29/2013

Co-written with U.S. Army Major (Retired) Todd Pierce.

There is potentially good news about the continually unfolding revelations about the NSA's massive spying. Apparently two separate Congressional groups will be holding hearings or inquiries this Wednesday, July 31. A lot has happened since one of us (Coleen Rowley) complained that "Massive Spying on Americans Is Outrageous" shortly after the shocking disclosures but unfortunately, much of the ensuing news reporting has simply served to distract from the real issues to the personal saga of the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Reporter Glenn Greenwald, who broke the story at the Guardian explained on ABC:

"NSA officials are going to be testifying before the Senate on Wednesday, and I defy them to deny that these programs work exactly as I just said," Greenwald said.

Greenwald, who will join via video-link a separate bipartisan congressional group hearing from critics of the NSA's surveillance programs on Wednesday, called on lawmakers to push for more information about the NSA's practices.

"The real issue here is that what the NSA does is done in complete secrecy. Nobody really monitors who they are eavesdropping on," Greenwald said. "So the question of abuse is one that the Congress ought to be investigating much more aggressively."