Former secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday called for a robust discussion about the balance between privacy and security, comments that come as American allies express concerns over U.S. surveillance.
“We need to have a full, comprehensive discussion” about that balance, she said, speaking at Colgate University
Everyone now says, ‘OK, we need to make sure we’re not going too far,’ that’s the discussion that needs to happen in a calm atmosphere,” the potential 2016 presidential candidate said. She added, “We’re not having that conversation yet.”
Clinton also stressed that U.S. allies rely on American intelligence for their security and sometimes serve as partners.
The German government said this week that the National Security Agency appeared to be monitoring Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone. The White House has said those concerns are being discussed, but hasn’t offered a detailed response to the allegation.
Even as she acknowledged concerns about privacy issues, Clinton also said that national security leaks don’t provide the full picture.
Information “is leaked in bits and pieces, not in context, it’s not clearly explained or understood,” she said.
Her address, and subsequent question-and-answer session, touched on an array of subjects from Afghanistan and Syria to the current American political landscape. She likened President Barack Obama’s approach to the recent government shutdown to the path her husband took in the 1990s.
“The government was shut down twice when Bill was president, he did exactly what President Obama did,” she said. “Which is to say, ‘I’m not going to negotiate under threats. Open the government, then we can have a discussion.’”
To applause, she continued, “No president, I don’t care if you’re the president of a company, a school, a country, can give in to that sort of threatening behavior.”
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