Surveillance programs reveal US hypocrisy(2)

"We hack network backbones -- like huge Internet routers, basically -- that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one," he said.

"Not only does it do so, but it is so afraid of this being known that it is willing to use any means, such as diplomatic intimidation, to prevent this information becoming public."

The revelations have renewed the debate over surveillance in the United States and overseas under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Civil liberties advocates describe the measures as "dangerous and unacceptable intrusions."

"Americans' faith in the law is touching. In this instance, it is misplaced," read an article posted on the New Yorker on Wednesday.

"Ever since 9/11 and the USA Patriot Act and the explosion of new security organizations, the American people have seen their liberties eroded." said Bob Beckel, a liberal Democratic strategist. And Cal Thomas, a USA Today's columnist, shared Beckel's opinion when they discussed the impact of the leaks on citizens' liberty in his Wednesday's column.

US officials have argued the programs strike the correct balance between privacy and national security. Obama administration have attempted to justify the surveillance programs by pointing to the arrests and convictions of would-be New York subway bomber Najibullah Zazi in 2009 and David Headley, who is serving a 35-year prison sentence for his role in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

However, court documents lodged in the US and UK, as well as interviews with involved parties, suggest that data-mining through Prism and other NSA programs played a relatively minor role in the interception of the two plots, according to a report of the Guardian.

The New York Times also criticized that the US government is "using a would-be subway bomber to justify sweeping surveillance."