Former President Bill Clinton says he has “serious reservations” about spying on other world leaders, an issue that has triggered some global criticism of President Barack Obama.
“I think there ought to be very explicit rules on listening in on conversations of world leaders,” Clinton said in an interview on the Fusion network.
Some world leaders, such as Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, have protested about reports that their phones have been tapped and their e-mails read.
Asked about spying on world leaders, Clinton said, “well, it depended on who they were.
“If we thought they were engaged in hostile acts against the United States ... then (intelligence agencies) might do it,” Clinton said. “But, I’m not sure.”
As for his own presidency, Clinton said that “we didn’t have the capability then to do a lot of what’s being done today.”
Clinton said revelations about U.S. spying have hurt relations with other nations.
“I do think that the stories about the data collection has had a damaging effect,” Clinton said. “And not just in Latin America, but in Europe and Asia.”
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