US has sacrificed any moral leadership with NSA program

Want China Times, Editorial 2013-11-03

A poster reads "Stop mass spying" at a protest in
Washington DC, Oct. 26. (Photo/Xinhua)

The row over electronic eavesdropping by the US National Security Agency (NSA) has snowballed to the point where the attempt to uphold US national interest has seriously affected the nation's relationship with its allies, jeopardizing the country's global strategy and influence.

The disclosures of Edward Snowden, former CIA employee and NSA contractor have brought the actions of the US to light, astonishing people around the world at the scale and duration of its operations. Its targets are now known to include US allies, as the nation has eavesdropped on telephone conversations of the EU office in Washington DC and the UN headquarters in New York, as well as those of 35 heads of state, including Dilma Vana Rousseff of Brazil, Enrique Pena Neito of Mexico and Angela Merkel of Germany, who we now find has been under US surveillance for 10 years. Even ordinary members of the public have been the objects of surveillance, as US security officials tapped 100 million phone conversations in one month in Spain and Italy alone.

True to its longstanding nickname of "big brother," the US has become the equivalent of the omnipresent figure in George Orwell's 1984, who watches over you constantly. It appears Snowden is justified in disclosing the spying of the US government to the world.

The US authorities have claimed the surveillance is necessary for upholding US national security, protecting its people and warding off terrorist attacks. A congressman even argued that Europe should be grateful for the US surveillance. However, in a nation of democracy and rule of law, eavesdropping can only be carried out with judicial authorization and must be followed by notification of the act to those involved afterwards. From which nation or international court has the US obtained the authorization to eavesdrop on national leaders and the citizens of other nations?

The US big brother has offended the world, including its allies, as national heads demand explanation an and the EU has postponed its talk with the US over a free trade agreement. The surveillance not only infringes on human rights and destroys mutual trust but also seriously encroaches on the sovereignty of other nations. Although collecting intelligence collection is a common practice for most countries, the disclosure of such an extensive surveillance program constitutes a major encroachment and humiliation for the nations concerned and has understandably provoked a strong backlash.

This anti-US sentiment will make it harder for the leaders of US allies to continue their support for US policy, which, along with declining economic power of the US, will impair its global influence and make it more isolated on the world stage. A loss of support from allies will therefore jeopardize US efforts to uphold national security and the country's paramount status. It also fatally undermines any moral authority with which the US can challenge China over allegations of cyber hacking and human rights abuses.

The US must face and cope with the aftermath of the disclosure of its global surveillance program. It can hold talks with various nations over the issue directly or seek to reach a consensus with them over the undertaking of surveillance via the mediation of the UN. Despite the possibility of lengthy political wrangling, the UN should set up norms for surveillance, thereby regulating international exchanges in the modern technological era.

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