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                    Kerry: U.S. Surveillance Went "Too Far"

   (Wraps US NSA Surveillance and US NSA Surveillance/Asia; new info grafs
   1-3))
   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the nation`s surveillance
   activities went "too far" in some cases, and promised that would not
   happen again.
   Kerry, in Washington, made the comments Thursday by videolink to a
   conference in London.
   Recent media reports that the National Security Agency was monitoring
   German Chancellor Angela Merkel`s phone calls -- and those of other
   allies, have ignited anger overseas and in Washington. The reports were
   based on documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden
   The Senate Intelligence committee Thursday approved legislation to
   tighten controls on what intelligence agencies can do with
   communications records. It imposes a five-year limit on how long those
   records can be retained.
   The controversy has also made its way to Asia. Indonesia on Thursday
   summoned the Australian ambassador in Jakarta following reports
   indicating that Australia has allowed covert U.S. surveillance programs
   to operate in its embassies in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and
   East Timor.
   Media reports said also said that the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta was used
   for spying on its president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other
   Indonesian leaders. They indicate the U.S. embassy houses wiretapping
   equipment that has been used to monitor other Indonesian leaders. The
   documents describe the facilities as carefully concealed within embassy
   compounds.
   The Indonesian Foreign Ministry has summoned America`s top diplomat in
   Jakarta to clarify allegations reported Thursday that the U.S. embassy
   in Jakarta may have been used to spy on President Susilo Bambang
   Yudhoyono.
   On Wednesday, Internet search engines Google and Yahoo expressed dismay
   over reports the U.S. National Security Agency secretly broke into
   their communication networks.
   In a statement, Google said it is "outraged" at the lengths to which
   the U.S. government seems to have gone to intercept data from Google`s
   private networks, and said these reports underscore the need for urgent
   reform. Both Google and Yahoo said they have not authorized the alleged
   tapping of their communication links.
   The new allegations of NSA activity follow a series of recent media
   revelations of U.S. surveillance activities targeting international
   leaders and institutions.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-us-surveillance-went-too-far/17
   81268.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-us-surveillance-went-too-far/1781268.html