Secret Service: Obama Promises More Transparency

With this promise of more transparency, American President Barack Obama has campaigned for more trust in the work done by the intelligence services. It is necessary to strike a balance between security and protecting privacy, stated Obama during a press conference in Washington on Friday: “We can and must be more transparent.”

Obama announced that he would be making every effort in Congress to make specific changes in the law with this in mind. The authorities should make as much information as possible known. Among other things, the regulations on collecting telephone data should be reviewed. The National Security Agency should establish an area that deals with citizen rights and data protection.

Furthermore, independent government experts should assess the monitoring program. The revelations of the extent of the global Internet surveillance by the NSA has been a major cause for concern both internationally and in the United States. Internet users were given the impression that the monitoring service was able to collect personal data at its own discretion.

In the House of Representatives, a cross-party initiative to restrict snooping by the intelligence services only just failed. Obama defended the NSA’s approach as legal and important for security and the fight against terrorism. The informant Edward Snowden, who initiated the scandal with his releases, fled abroad and has found asylum in Russia for the time being.

Olympic Boycott Refused by Obama

Obama has angrily called off a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the issue of the U.S.’s relationship with Russia, Obama stated that rhetoric hostile to America has intensified in Moscow since Putin’s return to the presidency. He is said to have encouraged Putin to think ahead but with “mixed success.” Moscow granting asylum to Snowden is just a recent example in a series of problems, stated Obama.

He stated that it is now “appropriate” that the United States take a break and reassess “where it is that Russia’s going.” Obama dismissed a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. The president asked that Snowden stand trial if he thinks that his actions were legal. “I don’t think Mr. Snowden was a patriot,” stated Obama.

“I Think People Have Questions”

But after these revelations, his policy has had to deal with criticism over the monitoring program. “I think people have questions about this program.” Snowden sped up the discussion but put U.S. security in danger by doing so. Ahead of his press appearance, Obama made it clear that he wants to keep a good working relationship with Russia.

His trip to the G-20 Summit in Russia was maintained, as was the meeting between foreign and defense ministers of both countries in Washington on Friday. Both countries have similar interests with different analyses when it comes to important issues like the Islamist advance in the war in Syria and the nuclear dispute with Iran. It was Obama’s first press conference for a good quarter and probably his last appearance before a week-long vacation with his family.