NSA Director Gen. Alexander Testifies To House Hearing About Surveillance Programs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of the House Intelligence Committee are vigorously defending the government's sweeping electronic surveillance programs.

Republican Rep. Mike Rogers and Democratic Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger said Tuesday that the programs were legal as well as critical in thwarting terrorism.

They criticized the recent leaks about the programs, with Rogers calling it criminal behavior.

The two spoke at the start of a rare open Capitol Hill hearing with the director of the National Security Agency, Gen. Keith Alexander.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press

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