New York, May 8, 2015\u2013The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled by a report that the U.S. National Security Agency carried out intensive surveillance of Al Jazeera\u2019s Islamabad bureau chief, Ahmad Muaffaq Zaidan, based on suspicion that he was a member of Al-Qaeda. The Intercept reported today that the NSA\u2019s information supporting its claim appears to reflect the normal behavior of a journalist maintaining contact with sources.<\/p>\n
\u201cColoring the legitimate newsgathering activities of a respected journalist as evidence of international terrorism risks chilling the vital work of the media, especially in Pakistan where journalists routinely interview Taliban and other militant groups as part of their coverage,\u201d said Bob Dietz, CPJ\u2019s Asia program coordinator.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NSA has once again brought the dangers of mass surveillance into sharp relief,\u201d said CPJ Internet Advocacy Coordinator Geoffrey King from San Francisco. \u201cGiven a big enough pool of data, anyone can end up fitting a \u2018suspicious\u2019 pattern. Journalists who traverse many sectors of society to bring the public the news are particularly vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zaidan and Al-Jazeera strongly defended the journalist\u2019s reporting and rejected the U.S.\u2019s suspicions, The Intercept reported.<\/p>\n