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Speaking in Poland about NSA spying earlier today, Secretary of State John Kerry said that the US will have to work better with allies to ensure they stay on the same page about surveillance efforts. "We will work very closely with our friends to make sure the road ahead is understood and is mutually agreed upon,” Kerry said, reports the Washington Post. Though Poland hasn't been among the NSA's revealed targets, many European countries have grown increasingly displeased by news of the leaks.
"We have to strike the right balance."
Kerry otherwise attempted to brush aside surveillance concerns, saying that they shouldn't muddle discussions of trade relations. He also explained that surveillance programs were needed for national security. "We’re all in this together . . . and we have to strike the right balance between protecting our citizens and, obviously, protecting the privacy of our citizens," Kerry said, reports the Post.
While Kerry recently said that he believed the United States' surveillance efforts had at times gone too far, it appears that he's yet to speak to any possibility of change in the NSA's programs. For now, Kerry's discussions of surveillance will likely end for a while: he's departing Poland to head to Israel for peace talks with Palestine, leaving behind difficult discussions in Europe for difficult discussions in the Middle East.
