White house says U.S. intelligence gathering may require 'additional constraints'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday there may need to be additional constraints placed on America's spy agencies after a series of embarrassing disclosures about the broad scope of U.S. intelligence gathering. President Barack Obama has full confidence in the director of the National Security Agency, General Keith Alexander, and other NSA officials, said White House spokesman Jay Carney. He added that there should be a balance between the need to gather intelligence and the need for privacy. "We recognize there needs to be additional constraints on how we gather and use intelligence," Carney said. A White House review of U.S. surveillance capabilities is well under way and should be completed by the end of the year, Carney said. (Reporting By Steve Holland, Roberta Rampton and Mark Felsenthal. Editing by Christopher Wilson)