[Plantagenet]

German Chancellor Merkel is outraged that the US was spying on her by bugging her cell phone

Merkel asks Obama to stop spying on her

How ironic that Obama ---who was outraged when Bush monitored calls from oversea terrorists to the US after 9/11---, has been caught spying on foreign citizens in countries all over the world, intercepting emails, spying on social networks, intercepting financial data, and bugging Chancellor Merkel's cell phone.

Why in heck was Obama listening in to Merkel's cell phone conversations?


Verdammt!!! Obama bugged my cell phone!!!!!

[Frank]

Yes, absolutely. Obama was sitting around in Washington - personally listening in on her calls. Yup. That's what happened...

[Plantagenet]

Merkel obviously thought Obama was responsible for it. As soon as she found out about it she personally called obama last Wednesday to complain.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained to President Barack Obama on Wednesday after learning that U.S. intelligence may have targeted her mobile phone, and said that would be “a serious breach of trust” if confirmed, her government announced.

[PrestonSturges]

What world leader is stupid enough to discuss anything important on a cell phone?

It only takes a couple hundred dollars in gear to eavesdrop on cell phone calls.

[Plantagenet]

The Germans are smart people. Merkel was almost certainly using a "secure" phone.

Nonetheless the NSA found a way to intercept her calls and texts.

The real question is why the Obama administration is putting money and resources into bugging the phones of Merkel and the President of Brazil and the President of Mexico and other world leaders as well as regular people in France and Germany and other countries that obviously have nothing to do with terrorism.

[Keith_McClary]

Yes, absolutely. Obama was sitting around in Washington - personally listening in on her calls. Yup. That's what happened...

That's ridiculous - Obama doesn't understand German.

Of course it wasn't Obama personally, it was one of 100,000 government or contractor analysts, 99% of whom are not going to misuse any of the information about Angie (or you) they have access to.

[Pops]

What is surprising about this? They infringe the rights of the US citizens, so why would they have qualms about violating ferigners privacy?

But we're safer. Don't you feel safer?

[Tanada]

What is surprising about this? They infringe the rights of the US citizens, so why would they have qualms about violating ferigners privacy?

But we're safer. Don't you feel safer?

Of course we are safer Pops, Big Brother is always looking out for us isn't he? I grew up with two older brothers so I know just how good a job Big Brother does.

[Plantagenet]

Bipartisan bill to be offered in Congress to rein in NSA

Some in Congress will try to rein in the NSA

The bill would limit NSA spying to terrorists, restrict the mass collection of data from Americans and foreigners, and rein in the Obama administration's efforts to listen in to Angela Merkel's cell phone conversations.

[eastbay]

Bipartisan bill to be offered in Congress to rein in NSA

Some in Congress will try to rein in the NSA

The bill would limit NSA spying to terrorists, restrict the mass collection of data from Americans and foreigners, and rein in the Obama administration's efforts to listen in to Angela Merkel's cell phone conversations.

It's too late. Congress could pass a law defunding the NSA and the domestic and international eavesdropping spying would continue to expand. The cat's out of the bag and there's no stopping the snooping.

[Lore]

This has been going on since there were two tribes put upon the earth. What makes you think that every other Western country isn't spying, or has been spying on each other? This didn't start with this administration or the last few dozen.

What Merkel doesn't like is, it was made public.

[vision-master]

What is surprising about this? They infringe the rights of the US citizens, so why would they have qualms about violating ferigners privacy?

But we're safer. Don't you feel safer?

Must you post this nonsense every weekend at 12:00 noon........

[dorlomin]

Annoying Mutti. The one western leader in charge of a functioning economy. Way to go, perhaps they might learn just how long a game the Germans are playing here. They are sucking up all the costs of renewables now, while
hydrocarbons are still cheap.


Lore wrote:L

This has been going on since there were two tribes put upon the earth. What makes you think that every other Western country isn't spying, or has been spying on each other?

Good examples of this would be the US tapping the UK delegation to the Washington Naval Treaty and the UK keeping its enigma breaking secrets hidden for years and handing out enigma machines to ex colonies post WWII.

That said there is little\nothing you can learn from Merkles conversations that is worth the hassle of the act becoming known. Germans are very very touchy about state spying and Merkle is a rather well liked figure. The habitual desire of the spooks to know everything needs to be reigned in.

[Lore]

The UK also was caught tapping the transatlantic cable back last mid century.

[Plantagenet]

there is little\nothing you can learn from Merkles conversations that is worth the hassle of the act becoming known. Germans are very very touchy about state spying and Merkle is a rather well liked figure.

Exactly right. The political damage now is far greater then the value of any secrets the Obama administration could've gleaned by listening in to Merkle's personal calls.

Of course, spying on Merkle was just the tip of the iceberg. NSA is now apparently spying on just about EVERYONE. Before Merkle, Holland of France was outraged and before that the President of Brazil and before her the president of Mexico. According to the leaked documents, the Obama administration has been spying on 35 different heads of states-----most of them supposedly our friends and allies.

[Lore]

there is little\nothing you can learn from Merkles conversations that is worth the hassle of the act becoming known. Germans are very very touchy about state spying and Merkle is a rather well liked figure.

Exactly right. The political damage now is far greater then the value of any secrets the Obama administration could've gleaned by listening in to Merkle's personal calls.

Of course, spying on Merkle was just the tip of the iceberg. NSA is now apparently spying on just about EVERYONE. Before Merkle, Holland of France was outraged and before that the President of Brazil and before her the president of Mexico. According to the leaked documents, the Obama administration has been spying on 35 different heads of states-----most of them supposedly our friends and allies.

Its just terrible, isn't it? They're going to stop selling German cars over here...

[Plantagenet]

Its just terrible, isn't it? They're going to stop selling German cars over here...

I doubt that will happen, but it certainly makes it less like that German cell phone companies will buy much more equipment from US equipment makers.

There are now legitimate concerns that the telephone equipment sold by companies based in the USA contains secret keyholes to let the NSA listen in.

[rollin]

The problem is not the spying, everybody does it if they can. The problem was being caught spying. Shame on them.

[Keith_McClary]

But if somebody is caught spying on the US it is a serious crime.

[davep]

The problem is not the spying, everybody does it if they can. The problem was being caught spying. Shame on them.

It's far more than that. It's the ubiquitous nature of the spying that can't be put down to "terrorism". It's the deliberate weakening of cryptography standards. It's the insertion of backdoors in computers, switches and firewalls that could theoretically be used by anyone who finds out what those back doors are.