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Appearing on Fox News Channel on Sunday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) dismissed members of Congress calling for the National Security Agency to reform its information gathering practices. He insisted that even members of Congress should be monitored by the NSA, just like every other American, in case they are “talking to an Al Qaeda leader in Iraq or Afghanistan.”

King objected to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) who objected to the NSA monitoring the communications of elected representatives. “I think members of Congress should be treated the same as everyone else,” King said. “If a member of Congress is talking to an Al Qaeda leader in Iraq or Afghanistan, why should that member of Congress be any different from any person on the street?” He added that Sanders was attempting to imply that the NSA is “spying” on Congress. “They’re not spying on anyone,” he added.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Tuesday warned Americans against isolationism, saying the United States could not afford to turn away from the world's crises. Hagel's appeal coincides with a growing fatigue at home with the country's international commitments, after 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.The Pentagon chief acknowledged Americans were wary of foreign commitments but said the costs of pulling back from the world would carry even bigger risks.

The current era of "unprecedented prosperity" could not be taken for granted and had evolved partly due to America's diplomacy and military strength, Hagel said.