Wyden Questions Intelligence Chiefs on Domestic Surveillance, Terror Threats
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) questioned Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte and NSA Chief General Michael Hayden at a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today on issues of domestic surveillance and terrorist threats worldwide. In today's hearing, Wyden said that the right position on NSA wiretapping should be to say "trust, but verify," allowing Congress the opportunity to do effective oversight to verify citizens are being adequately protected. Selections from the transcript of today's hearing follow: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Transcript of Hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the Worldwide Terror Threat WYDEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Director, you didn't mention Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific, but you seemed to cover everywhere else, and I welcome you. To me, just because effective intelligence-gathering requires a high degree of secrecy, the Bush administration can't be excused from reasonable standards of accountability. So I have essentially two questions to start with with respect to accountability. When it has been determined that an American monitored under the NSA eavesdropping program is no longer a threat, what is done with the information collected on that U.S. person, Mr. Director? NEGROPONTE: Sir, again, I don't think in this context... WYDEN: Are there restrictions on how that information is used? NEGROPONTE: Let me give you a general reply which I think goes to your question. NEGROPONTE: Whether you're talking about one program or another with respect to NSA, those programs are under the strictest possible oversight. They are reviewed legally with the greatest of care. There are very senior managers involved in their administration. And as far as American persons or American individuals are concerned, protections are taken, should their names come up in various kinds of intelligence that is collected, to minimize and protect their identities. This has been a standard procedure of the NSA for the many, many years that it's been in its existence. General Hayden may want to amplify. WYDEN: Mr. Director, that answer isn't good enough for me. That answer is essentially: "Trust us. The Congress and the public just have to trust us." And Ronald Reagan put it very well. He said, "Trust, but verify." And we have no way to verify that citizens are being protected the way you have outlined today. Now maybe, General Hayden, you want to add to that. HAYDEN: Sir, I'll just add very quickly: This is lawfully acquired signals intelligence. And the body of regulations under which NSA operates day in and day out, in terms of protecting U.S. privacy, in terms of protecting information to, from or about a U.S. person, apply to the use, retention and destruction of that data.and day out, in terms of protecting U.S. privacy, in terms of protecting information to, from or about a U.S. person, apply to the use, retention and destruction of that data.
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