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Curated research library of TV news clips regarding the NSA, its oversight and privacy issues, 2009-2014

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Primary curation & research: Robin Chin, Internet Archive TV News Researcher; using Internet Archive TV News service.

Speakers

John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: Very disturbed. There's two issues here. One is the whole issue of torture in what went on during those years, in my view, were shameful because actions that were taken that clearly violated the Geneva convention of which we are signatory as for treatment of prisoners is concerned, and we outlawed that as an amendment of ours on the defense authorization bill. It was outlawed. The President signed the bill. So although it was important to go back and review the exact things that happened and have the Congress and the American people understand it so we would never do it again. It's my hope and belief.
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: Then there's another issue. That is that a legally constituted carrying out the senate responsibilities of the senate intelligence committee, they were carry out an investigation. That is not just -- it's not a pleasure. It's their responsibility to give it. That's what Congress is supposed to be. That's what our constitution calls for so clearly without a doubt now, the destructive CIA has quote apologized. They work spied upon and maybe perhaps even impeded by another agency, another branch of government who vociferously denied that that was taking place on a number of occasions. This is to me the utmost seriousness.
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: What did the Director of the CIA know, and when did he know it? and what action did he take if he knew about it? And if he didn't know about it, why in the world didn't he know that people under his direct area of responsibility were violating the fundamental barriers of constitutional authority and responsibility. I think it's of the most seriousness. I think, I think I'd like to give them a chance to respond how this happened, why it happened, et cetera. but if we don't hold the Director of the CIA responsible for this, and I don't know what, where responsibility could lie.
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: I really never believed, I never believed that an agency of government, particularly with the capabilities of the CIA, would carry out such actions, which is a clearly unconstitutional -- it's, in some ways it's worse than criminal. How can we be confident that the -- that our responsibilities are able to be carried out without interference from the Executive Branch of government? And the way, frankly, the Presidential spokesman yesterday just kind of, just dismissed it out of hand. That is even more appalling to me.
Lindsey Graham
U.S. Senator (R-SC),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
Graham: If you want to reform the NSA program to make it more transparent and to protect privacy, that makes sense to me. But what the CIA did is not equivalent. The CIA tried to protect itself. The CIA apparently tried to gain information from a Congressional investigation to mold the outcome to protect itself. Where is the outrage on Capitol Hill?
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: I disagree with the minority report in that the minority report may say that there was some information gained. That cannot compare to the damage that it did to the reputation and image of the United States of America and increase the ability of jihadists and extremists to recruit people who want to destroy the United States of America and everything they stand for. It is a stain on America's honor.
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: We would be glad to discuss some way of investigation conducted by people who have credibility of the American people, whether that's inside the congress, whether it's a special prosecutor, whether it's -- whatever it is. We would be amenable to most any form, as long as it’s credible with the American people and Congress. It can't come from inside the agency whose Director directly lied to the American people on at least two occasions that I know of about this whole issue.
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: This has got to do with the fundamentals of our constitution and the division of power in the checks and balances that are supposed to govern the way – that are supposed to be the dictates of how we govern this country. And if you have something like this going on, how can the American people be confident that our intelligence agencies are carrying out their constitutional responsibilities and not acting like a rogue agency?
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
CSPAN2 08/01/2014
McCain: They will cite several instances where the information gained led to the foiling of terrorist plots. One, I've heard counter information about these allegations, but I can't cite them until they are made public. And the other aspect of this that the minority report does really get into, is that when someone is enduring physical pain, they will tell you anything they think you want to hear in order to have that pain stopped. So they're saying about some accurate information, they also got a plethora of inadequate information, totally false information because they wanted it stopped. That's understandable. Reporter: Are you speaking from personal experience speaks McCain: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yes, absolutely.
John McCain
U.S. Senator (R-AZ),
KNTV 08/01/2014
Mitchell: Bush officials have always denied that waterboarding done at secret black sites, prisons in Poland and other cooperating countries, was torture. Senator John McCain himself tortured for years as a Vietnam P.O.W., says the long-awaited senate report leaves no room for debate. McCain: I think the evidence is very clear that waterboarding was used as a routine technique, which is the definition of torture. Mitchell: Still today the CIA's former top lawyer defends the practices. Rizzo: They were harsh. But I didn't think then and I don't think now that they constitute torture.
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