The Patriot Post® · Putin Defends ... NSA?

Russian leader Vladimir Putin this week defended the National Security Agency, which is presently mired in spying allegations that threaten to unravel the agency’s way of doing business. He also expressed envy towards Barack Obama. The irony here, of course, is that whistleblower Edward Snowden was allowed to seek refuge in Russia after leaking classified documents that put the agency in the spotlight to begin with lest he face retaliation in the States. The Russian president said that the NSA’s model “isn’t a cause for joy, it’s not a cause for repentance either,” with one caveat: “On [a] political level, it’s necessary to limit the appetite of special services with certain rules.” He added, “How do I feel about Obama after Snowden’s revelations? I envy him, because he can get away with it.”