US lawmaker says NSA snoop-ops could have prevented 9/11

As the Congress remains spilt about the need to curb the US' spy agency's alleged mass surveillance activities, a GOP lawmaker has reportedly argued in defence of the programme and said that it could have prevented the 9/11 attacks in the nation.

Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican called whistleblower Edward Snowden, who leaked the classified information about the alleged programmes, a defector and traitor.

According to The Washington Times, King said that the NSA has not abused its power and suggested that the 9/11 terrorist attacks could have been avoided if the phone data collection programme were in place at that time.

The debate continues as the lawmakers decide about the extent of government snooping, and whether it violates Americans' constitutional rights against illegal search and seizure.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has expressed his willingness to most of the recommendations by the White House appointed task force, including prohibiting the NSA from keeping the phone records.

While some lawmakers are in favour of the surveillance programme, others like Sen. Mark Udall, Colorado Democrat said that the programme is like an invasion of privacy.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that the nation's founders would be astounded to see what NSA and others are doing.

The revelations have upset not just the US' ties with its allies but also the consumers of tech companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo, who have lost trust over their data being breached and passed on to government agencies for surveillance.