Bush ordered NSA to spy on Germany’s Schroeder over Iraq War Opposition
http://www.juancole.com/2014/02/germanys-chancellor-schroeder.html
Bush ordered NSA to spy on Germanys Schroeder over Iraq War Opposition
By Juan Cole | Feb. 5, 2014
The Guardian reports that the George W. Bush administration put German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeders personal telephone under surveillance in 2002. Schroeder was opposed to the Bush-Cheney aggressive war on Iraq.
This surveillance allowed the Bush administration to know where it stood with Germany and NATO. The surveillance continued, on the personal phone of Angela Merkel. There is a rumor that Obama was surprised to find out about the snooping on her personal phone. If true, it tells you how out of control the NSA is. The spying on friendly leaders is proof positive that the spying wasnt primarily for counter-terrorism.
US spied on German Chancellor Schröder for Iraq War opposition
Informed Comment reported on August 8,2002:
US Isolation on Iraq: There were several international and national developments with regard to the coming US attack on Iraq on Wednesday. On Wednesday, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder warned in Bild that any military attack on Iraq could destroy the international coalition against terrorism. He said, This fight (against terrorism) is not yet won and that is why I am warning against an attack on Iraq, adding It will not be well understood as a means of defence and could destroy the international alliance against terrorism. Bild likewise reported that the Christian Democrat candidate in the upcoming elections, Edmund Stoiber, *also* said, New commitments abroad by the Bundeswehr (German military) are not on the agenda.
AFP reported that the European Union diplomats insisted that all diplomatic means to resolving the conflict with Iraq be exhausted before a military solution was adopted.