Spying plunges U.S.-German ties lower than Iraq war - Merkel ally

[xchrom]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/01/16/uk-germany-usa-spying-idUKBREA0F0UC20140116


(Reuters) - Relations between Germany and the United States are worse now than during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq a decade ago, a leading ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, in a sign of mounting anger in Berlin over American spying tactics.

Philipp Missfelder, foreign policy spokesman for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) in parliament, said Berlin should bar U.S. access to a database of international financial transactions unless Washington promises to stop spying in Germany. The lawmaker is expected to be confirmed soon as the government coordinator for U.S. ties.

Reports this week have suggested talks on a "no spying" deal, launched after revelations last year that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had monitored Merkel's mobile phone, are near collapse because Washington refuses to rule out eavesdropping on one of its closest post-war allies.

"2003 is generally seen as a lowpoint in German-American relations," Missfelder said, referring to the clash over former U.S. President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq.

[randome]

1. Thank you Edward Snowden for safeguarding our rights!

Oh, wait. Never mind.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. Yeah, like when a wife's friend reveals the husband has been cheating

it's totally the fault of the wife's friend that the couple ends up getting a divorce.

[randome]

5. Germany does its share of surveillance, as well.

So it's sort of like both partners cheating. Why would a 'friend' take sides in such a situation? Unless the 'friend' has an agenda.

And Snowden keeps telling us how he's trying to make the NSA a better agency. This does nothing for that so-called cause, which in reality is only his Libertarian yearnings. "Let's see how much shit I can stir up!"
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Sometimes it seems like the only purpose in life is to keep your car from touching another's.[/center][/font][hr]

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. If you're so convinced there's nothing wrong and "she's cheating too!"

then what's the big deal about what Snowden reveals?

[randome]

7. I never said nothing's wrong.

We could definitely do with less international spying. But I'm not overly concerned about it, either. And even if I was, I wouldn't stand in the middle of a crowd and publicly diss both partners in an effort to dissolve their marriage.

Or maybe Snowden is not dissing both partners. His only concern seems to be to damage the U.S.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.[/center][/font][hr]

[stevenleser]

2. All for show. The German's were just as much willing participants as targets

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/germany-is-a-both-a-partner-to-and-a-target-of-nsa-surveillance-a-916029.html

Ally and Target: US Intelligence Watches Germany Closely

By Laura Poitras, Marcel Rosenbach and Holger Stark
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According to internal NSA information, which SPIEGEL has seen, the agency's European Cryptologic Center (ECC) is headquartered in Griesheim. A 2011 NSA report indicates that the ECC is responsible for the "largest analysis and productivity in Europe." According to the report, results from the secret installation find their way into the President's Daily Brief, the daily intelligence report given to US President Barack Obama, an average of twice a week.

Germany is a special place for the NSA, in many respects. Few other countries are the source of as much data for US intelligence agencies, much of which comes from the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany's foreign intelligence agency. At the same time Germany itself, despite all friendly assurances to the contrary, is also a target of the surveillance. According to a "secret" summary among the documents obtained by Snowden, which SPIEGEL was able to view, Germany is one of the targets of US espionage activity.
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[Octafish]

4. NAZI v STASI

Same crap. Different label.

[reddread]

8. one thing is for sure

The US has done much in the last 13 years to rehabilitate the image of Germany.