Clinton: Better rules needed on spying

Former President says clarity needed on how nations handle intelligence gathering

12/3/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Bill Clinton is calling for clarity in how countries gather intelligence.

And when it comes to secretly monitoring the telephone conversations or emails of world leaders, the former president says American agencies might have spied on leaders his administration thought were engaging in hostile acts against the U.S. He says his administration didn’t have the ability to do much of what’s currently being done.

Clinton commented Tuesday during an interview with the Fusion television network.

Documents leaked this summer by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden exposed a massive U.S. surveillance operation that covered telephone records, email traffic and the communications of U.S. allies, including Brazil, Germany and Mexico.

A report by a panel of advisers President Barack Obama chose to review NSA programs is expected this month.