NSA Director: Spies Would See Clinton’s Emails as a Target

During a hearing Thursday, National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that a foreign official who used a private email server to conduct government business would give the US a grand opening for espionage.

Rogers said that if another country’s foreign minister used a private server for email, USA spies would see that as an “opportunity” to exploit a security lapse.

“From a foreign intelligence perspective, that represents opportunity,” Rogers said.

“You really want to drag me into this, sir?” he responded when Sen.

Rogers said he did not want to be dragged into the issue, but Cotton said he wanted the NSA director’s “professional opinion”.

In rare open hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday afternoon, Rogers was tasked with pitching his agency to the American people.

Rogers replied that he would advise the Cabinet member to comply with whatever policies governed their department.

Cotton asked: “Are the communications of the senior most advisors, even those that may be unclassified, a top priority for foreign intelligence services, in your opinion?” From Admiral Rogers’ perspective, however, the admission may add to criticism surrounding the NSA’s wholesale surveillance operations. She has insisted she never sent or received anything marked classified at the time, but concerns she may have failed to protect sensitive information have dogged her presidential campaign. “I apologize”.

Critics have long feared that Clinton’s decision to go outside of the State Department’s normal email protocol posed a security risk to the nation by making it easier for foreign spies to crack into her messages and steal potentially crucial diplomatic secrets. “I don’t know if an arms control agreement is the right answer”, Rogers said.