US caught spying on…Germany
Ya know, with all of the problems that we have with folks around the world, why are we wasting our money and time to spy on some of our allies…especially Germany? From the Washington Post;
Federal prosecutors in Germany said police had searched an apartment and an office in Berlin in a probe that is apparently focused on a suspect with ties to the country’s military. The raids came days after an employee of Germany’s foreign intelligence service was arrested and accused of selling secrets to the CIA.
“We have investigations in two cases of suspected espionage, a very serious suspicion,” Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government, told reporters in Berlin.
I guess it’s because we have so many allies in the world these days, we don’t need anymore. A few months ago we learned that the US intellegence people were listening to German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone conversations and now this. From Reuters;
According to intelligence and political sources, the man admits passing documents to a U.S. contact.
Those include information about a parliamentary committee looking into allegations by former U.S. intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that Washington carried out major surveillance in Germany, including monitoring Merkel’s phone.
Category: Foreign Policy
Once again, we’re practicing the Obama lessons of how to “win friends and influence people”. Too bad he isn’t investing CIA resources to help “push back radical extremists” around the world. Though I am sure we are or at least I hope we are. Since we set aside $5 billion for that program according to Kerry, you would think we would know far more about our Muslims enemies than we apparently do. But who knows maybe it is all hush-hush and they know all they need and we won’t get surprise attacked again. Why did I just laugh to myself when I wrote that?
My thoughts exactly. This is nothing new. We’re all spying on each other, but as dangerous as the world is right now, why we’re wasting resources spying on Germany is beyond stupid. Of course transparency is this administrations number one priority.
While it’s certainly true that everybody does it to everybody, the Germans have been pretty well domesticated for a few decades now. One would think the Intelligence community has bigger fish to fry at the moment.
I find myself oddly attracted to Angela Merkel. Don’t judge me.
Angela asks that you send her a photo of yourself in lederhosen. If she likes it, she’ll be in touch.
You know, there are pictures of a young Angela Merkel at the beach, um, that leave nothing to the imagination (just saying, and yes I would).
Nearly every country spies on other countries. I said nearly rather than all because I have my doubts about Seychelles. In the United States, countries spy on us by sitting in on Congressional committee meetings, reading the NYT and WaPo, having lunch where the Hill staff do, and watching the evening news. Spying was fun in the old days of the Cold War and was encouraged, courtesy of Bazooka gum wrapper ads and those on the back cover of comic books.
Actually I think this is the result of true CIA operators leaving the organization – we have always spied on our Allies – trust but verify if you will – but they were always high quality people that did it…
We’ve ALWAYS spied on our allies. That’s how you make sure of who they really are. (And, IIRC, that’s how we’ve caught out a few people actually spying on us for our actual enimies.) And our allies have always spied on us. That this is a surprise to anyone is a sign that you haven’t actually thought it through.
Of course, we used to be better at it, and not get caught…. And more circumspect when we did get caught.
Angela Merkel is an opponent of multiculturalism.
I’m sure that rustles Mr. Obummer’s jimmies.
Another stunning foreign policy triumph for Obama!
/sarc
The triumph continues, the Germans booted the CIA station chief out of Germany. I wonder if the Boy Blunder in D.C. will reciprocate, or if he’ll just let it go?
The Obama Administration, pissing off our allies and enabling our enemies for 5.5 years.
We collect Information and run source operations (spy) in almost all countries. Of course we have a CIA station in Germany and you can bet they do a lot of things including spy on Islamic radicals. adding collecting information on a foreign nations intelligence service is just plain smart. Also HUMINT is cheap and not very manpower intensive so its not really a matter of wasted resources. we just got caught and unlike during the cold war the Germans don’t mind making a big deal about it this time.
Hey, you are all so far off the mark here! All of you!
Bodaprez is too busy working up his temper tantrum chops for being blamed for the mess at the south border to care what Angela Merkel thinks.
All that crap going on in our southern parts takes precedence over any insults to our allies. You ought to know that by now.
Temper tantrum? I assumed he just harrumphed and ignored it while he tended to something MUCH more important to him, things like his next golf outing, vacation, or fundraiser!!
What? You didn’t see him on the news last night?
He was visibly upset because HE was being blamed for everything with the border crisis. How DARE they blame him for it?
I thought for one brief second he’d pound his fist on the podium.
Hmm, i’ve read through all your comments and I have to say that I cannot believe it.
I would like to see the US going crazy when we (I am German) hack Mr. Obama’s cell phone.
USA is well known to the world as one of the most paranoic countries in the world. Try reading Michael Moore.
And the reason for spying on other countries is that your political leaders and the few people holding USA’s money are afraid of losing control on the world’s ressources.
The United States are not interested in bringing freedom and justice to the world. Everyone knows that you just follow your very personal interests.
I really would like to see that US citizens develope the ability to critisize their political leaders and not simply say YES to everything.
Home of the brave, land of the free?
Come on, start thinking and cut down on nationalism.
Criticize our political leaders…
Well, if you had read all the commnets, as you claim, you might have picked up the vague line of thought that says we DO criticize them, regularly, a lot, frequently in public where someone can see us and hear us.
WE haven’t been particularly quiet about that, especially lately — like since the 1760s, sport. We criticze every politician we’ve ever had.
You should try reading OUR history, starting with some of the more interesting things like what happened in the 1950s, instead of gluing yourself to an ingorant whiny slob like mikey moore.
And unless it’s for a Lollapalooza or sports, WE don’t stand in large groups
with our little hands in the air, chanting “Big smile, big smile, big smile!”
È il tuo nome Mussolini, per caso?
If you hacked Obama’s cell phone all you’d get is selfies.
Nun, scheinen wir einen westfälischen Putz oben kommentiert haben.
Wie klappt das “ein Europa”-Zeug für dich, Sonnenschein? Genießen Sie Rettungsplan für Griechenland, Spanien und Italien mit deutschen Euro (ehemals D-Mark)?
Die Tatsache, dass Sie Michael Moore zitieren würde, wie eine Quelle Sie zeigt sind ein Esel und ein Narr. Geh, Schweine.
Oh does google translate make a hash out of that.
Yes, it does. But my error, too. In particular, “Putz” above should probably be “Schwanz” or “Arschloch”.
Recht hat er! Wir müssen anfangen, kritisierte Obama! Warum haben wir nicht daran denken, bevor jetzt?
Nun, er sollte wissen. Schließlich wurde Kritik an der Führung so geschätzt und gefördert, die in Deutschland vor 1955.
Does anyone know how to incorrectly spell “reset” in German?
Nouns: Nullstellung; Zurücksetzung; Neuanfang
or this (verbs): neu stellen; zurückstellen; wieder einrichten
Does that help?
RESETENmussenmachenleuthauserschnarrenbergergemusefruchtestaatsangehorigkeitamerikabiertrinkenvielbesoffengebenkaterachduliebergute sich
But that’s the short form. Oh, and the sich. Don’t forget the sich. If you forget that it means “stupid American politician who can’t translate to save her life.”
“Come on, start thinking and cut down on nationalism.” (Advice from a German to Americans generally.) Thank you. That prompted the best laugh I had this week. Do you have a relative in Milwaukee or elsewhere in the states who goes by the screen name vietnamwarprotester?