NSA will not be pressured to change ways: Former contractor

Press TV has conducted an interview with Steven Kelley, a former NSA contractor in Los Angeles, to discuss the new revelations by the whistleblower website WikiLeaks showing that the US National Security Agency (NSA) has eavesdropped on the last three German chancellors and their offices for more than a decade.

This is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: This story especially about Germany and Angela Merkel seems to be recurring and to be coming up again and again. How do you think that the German government will respond this time?

Kelley: Well, this story of course is not so much a revelation as it is a verification.

I do have to say that though... again... when the government complains about being spied on, I think these are the same people that have been authorizing their citizens and allowing the NSA to come in there under any circumstances at all. But, at the same time, you might consider that perhaps they are trying to build a good argument for the future perhaps for even leaving NATO and joining BRICS.

Press TV: As you said obviously, there is an argument to be made about the hypocrisy of those governments complaining about being spied upon. But I am wondering certainly the outrage on the part of people makes it difficult for those government, doesn’t it, because they do want privacy?

Kelley: Just before 9/11, there seemed to be a consensus in Europe that something had to be done about spying and when you look at how many administrations – if you will – have been affected by this, you have to understand that this kind of technology or this technology devoted to this sort of espionage is an ongoing thing and is continuing to become more sophisticated every day. And as we hear about systems that are in place, listening systems... usually the one we hear about them, there is something more sophisticated that is in place or even several generations beyond that.

So, we have to be naive to expect that this isn’t happening and I suspect that certainly the German government is not naive. They did of course give the green light after 9/11 for the NSA to continue their operation. So, I think they are somewhat culpable.

So, at this point, you have to look for other motives; and I think of course that joining BRICS is certainly a great motive if they can use this as an excuse to extricate themselves from their alliance.

Press TV: I am wondering how will the US and NSA react to this sort of thing? The president has reassured his counterparts several times.

Kelley: Well, again you know the president is somewhat short term at this time so that’s I suppose convenient for the system.

I do not expect that the American government or the American people will exert any additional pressure on the NSA to change their ways; if anything, the Patriot Act and some of the more heinous bulk data-gathering activities have been given a green light here just recently so it is back to business as far as they are concerned.

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