This broad and unprecedented alliance, united to demand more transparency and accountability around the NSA’s access to our personal data, stood behind me as I delivered my testimony. But do you know who didn’t have my back? Who hasn’t stepped up to support surveillance transparency, much less surveillance reform? Who, despite—or because of—being as deeply involved as anyone can be in the NSA’s dragnet, has had nothing to say other than “no comment”?

The telcos.

The Weekly Wonk | Liberal Brain Freeze & Security Narcissists – 11/21/2013.

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Also in the news this morning:

The crisis — triggered by reports that Australian spies tried to tap the phones of the Indonesian president, his wife and ministers — has pushed ties between Jakarta and Canberra to their lowest level since Australia sent troops to restore order in East Timor in 1999.

Jakarta has recalled its ambassador from Canberra and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Wednesday ordered cooperation suspended in several areas, including on people-smuggling, military exercises and sharing intelligence.

Indonesia halts Australia drills as protesters call for ‘war’ – The West Australian – 11/21/2013.

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It is one thing for former politicians such as Alexander Downer to turn on the ”left-wing” Guardian for ”shamelessly dribbl[ing] out this material to maximise the pain and embarrassment to the Western alliance”.

It is another for journalists, particularly ones who are vociferous champions of a free press, to fall into line.

Spies, journalists and inconvenient truths – 11/21/2013.

Related

The Daily Dot – How the NSA ranks its international spying partners – 11/5/2013.

ECHELON – “ECHELON is a term associated with a global network of computers that automatically search through millions of intercepted messages for pre-programmed keywords or fax, telex and e-mail addresses. Every word of every message in the frequencies and channels selected at a station is automatically searched” (Federation of American Scientists).

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