Americans will not tolerate government spying: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Scott Bennett, a former US Army psychological warfare officer and counter-terrorism analyst, in San Francisco, to discuss Washington’s harsh criticisms aimed at US Senate for its failure in extending the spying powers of US intelligence agencies.

What follows is a rough transcription.

Press TV: Talk to us first of all about this bipartisanship among lawmakers and what changes are actually being targeted in provisions?

Bennett: Well, I think it is a sign that there are still men in Washington D.C. who believe in freedom of the individual and the freedom to be left alone and in private. Senator Rand Paul and Congressman Massie and Congressman Amash; it is sad that they are the only ones who have stood up and voiced what every single American in America believes and that is that their privacies are important and they do not want a government listening on every phone call, watching every email, following them, going through their garbage without a warrant. And if someone is suspected of wrongdoing or criminal activity, then they obviously should be investigated under a warrant. But this law basically changes the powers of government and forces them to come out in the open and be transparent on any of their powers and their authorities that the people give to them and any powers and activities that they are doing [but] the people do not give to them. They have basically been given notice that it will not be tolerated anymore. So I think this is a great day for the American public in a renaissance that really is akin to 1776, when America first discovered its independence. This is a day for Americans to reassert their independence and freedom from government oppression.

Press TV: A lot of observers of this situation have called into question the entire NSA and other domestic agency spying programs, because from the standpoint of the spying agencies there is always going be a reason to want to carry out the surveillance and eavesdropping on Americans.

Bennett: Well, I know first-hand from my own experience in the military and my experience in government; I was at the highest levels of counter-terrorism and had a top secret SCI clearance.. of course I never discuss anything classified… but I know first-hand that a lot of the material that they were doing and the activities they were engaging is quite honestly a fraud on the American people and a boogeyman designed to inculcate a spirit of fear and that spirit of fear is what justifies the wars all over the Middle East that Americans are now kicking back against. The American people do not want endlessly in the Middle East and this is the first step to sort of roll that back, to say we will not be subjected to this sort of police state and of course the opposing powers and those who live off this Patriot act as almost parasites. They are up in arms; John McCain and Lindsey Graham and some of these other people in Congress are screaming bloody murder but I think that is all a charade. I know first-hand from my own experience and the materials that I wrote, as a whistle-blower; I wrote material exposing terrorist financing that came from the Saudi, (Persian) Gulf states that was going directly through Swiss bank accounts into ISIL and Al Qaeda operations and out of all of the Senators and Congressmen that I wrote my materials, Senator Rand Paul was the only person on Capitol Hill to ever respond, not Dianne Feinstein, not John McCain, not Lindsey Graham, not Mike Rogers, not Peter King, not anyone who is in charge of intelligence or military affairs ever responded to me, ever debrief me. In fact they buried me, covered up my reports and never did a single thing and it is only now beginning to gain traction. But this has been a long time coming and it is really just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more material that will be coming out on the American public side and I think in the next three months that it is going to be absolutely astounding when you see the depth and the level of depravity and violations that have been gauged in. I mean men have been thrown in prison; men have been, in some cases, killed; and it has been done by a lot of their own government powers and it is sad to say. But I think this is a very good day for America and I applaud Senator Paul for doing this but I know firsthand that he is one the only men who have the guts to stand and speak for truth.

MTM/KA

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