The NSA’s Alarming Misbehavior

The National Security Agency, accustomed to operating in the shadows, has had a rough few months as details of its secret intelligence-gathering operations have been leaked. The Washington Post reported today that the agency has violated its privacy rules and exceeded its authority thousands of times a year since 2008.

Intelligence professionals -- especially those with a mission as important as the NSA’s -- deserve the benefit of the doubt on many issues. But the alarming behavior the recent leaks have revealed shows that the NSA requires strong supervision, and it’s clear that the current system of oversight is failing.