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USA Today
WASHINGTON — A key senator criticized the National Security Agency on Monday for spying on friendly foreign leaders and questioned President Obama over apparently not knowing about it for years.Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee and is an NSA supporter, said she is "totally opposed" to collecting intelligence on leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"It is my understanding that President Obama was not aware Chancellor Merkel's communications were being collected since 2002," she said. "That is a big problem."
Feinstein — who indicated she and her committee were also not told about the spying -- said that "the White House has informed me that collection on our allies will not continue, which I support."
Reuters
The White House moved to reassure U.S. allies and Americans concerned about the sweeping nature of U.S. surveillance practices on Monday by acknowledging that more constraints are needed to assure that privacy rights are protected.Amid a growing uproar in Europe and protest from a key U.S. lawmaker, officials said they would review intelligence collection programs with an eye to narrowing their scope.
"We need to make sure that we're collecting intelligence in a way that advances our security needs and that we don't just do it because we can," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
President Barack Obama has come under fierce criticism abroad over allegations that the U.S. National Security Agency tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and conducted widespread electronic snooping in France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere.
The accusations have caused tensions between the United States and some of its closest traditional allies, potentially imperiling a U.S.-European trade deal and trans-Atlantic information sharing.
At least some of the spying appeared to have been done without Obama's knowledge.
California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: "It is my understanding that President Obama was not aware Chancellor Merkel's communications were being collected since 2002."
The Guardian
The chair of the Senate intelligence committee, who has been a loyal defender of the National Security Agency, dramatically broke ranks on Monday, saying she was "totally opposed" to the US spying on allies and demanding a total review of all surveillance programs.California Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein strongly criticised the NSA's monitoring of the calls of friendly world leaders such as German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Feinstein, who has steadfastly defended the NSA's mass surveillance programs, added that both Barack Obama and members of her committee, which is supposed to received classified briefings, had been kept in the dark about operations to target foreign leaders.
"It is abundantly clear that a total review of all intelligence programs is necessary so that members of the Senate Intelligence Committee are fully informed as to what is actually being carried out by the intelligence community," Feinstein said in a statement to reporters.
BBC
The White House has acknowledged the need for additional "constraints" on US intelligence gathering, amid claims of eavesdropping on allies.
Spokesman Jay Carney said an ongoing White House intelligence policy review would account for "privacy concerns".Spain is the latest of several countries reported to have been the target of US collection of phone data.
A top Democrat in the Senate has said its intelligence panel will undertake a "major review" of US spying programmes.
Senator Dianne Feinstein said she was "totally opposed" to the National Security Agency's (NSA) intelligence gathering on leaders of US allies.
An EU delegate in Washington described the row as "a breakdown of trust".
'Genuine concern'
On Monday Mr Carney, US President Barack Obama's spokesman, told reporters the administration "recognise[s] there needs to be additional constraints on how we gather and use intelligence".