Article

2013-10-24 Europe

Germany summons US ambassador over claim NSA bugged Merkel's phone

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Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 06:53|| || Front Page|| [8 views ] Top

#1 I certainly hope, EC, that the S. Zeitung is very widely read and that all of the folks who used to fawn over Obama are properly outraged.

Sometimes lessons take a long while to sink in.

Posted by Bobby 2013-10-24 12:54|| 2013-10-24 12:54|| Front Page Top

#2 We spy on our allies and they spy on us. Nothing new about that. Heads of state are left alone out of curtesy usually. Apparently Obama doesn't have any of that.

Posted by DarthVader 2013-10-24 14:42|| 2013-10-24 14:42|| Front Page Top

#3 Yes the Süddeutsche Zeitung is one of the most respected papers in Germany.

Yes I know about the spying practices, but what you really can't do is to tap the phone of a leader who is one of your closest ally and friend (not necessarily friend of the O)

How can we negotiate a free trade agreement when your partner taps your conversations? This would end any business relationship. You simply don't do it.

Obama in Europe is done. Overdone. He's done more damage to transatlantic relations than any other politician (US or European before him).

I saw his rally in Berlin back in 2008. Though he was an empty suit. But he is worse.

I don't think we'll need any more visits from him in his remaining term.

Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 16:10|| 2013-10-24 16:10|| Front Page Top

#4 We spy on our allies and they spy on us.

True, but there is spying and there is spying. Noticing who Angela hangs out with is one thing, rummaging through her underwear drawer is quite another. And then there is the clandestine aspect, a big word meaning "don't get caught".

B-HO's career has been marked by digging up dirt on friends and rivals. Paranoids read meaning into unexpected resignations or surprising Supreme Court votes. I suspect this is just business as usual for the Obama regime.

Posted by SteveS 2013-10-24 16:42|| 2013-10-24 16:42|| Front Page Top

#5 I will remain a friend of America, the American people, the American troops...

But for this administration, I have nothing but disgust.

Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 17:06|| 2013-10-24 17:06|| Front Page Top

#6 Glad to hear, EC...

I wonder how far up the food chain you need to go to get approval to bug the comms of the leader of a close ally? Does that require Presidential sign off?

Posted by Classical_Liberal 2013-10-24 17:16|| 2013-10-24 17:16|| Front Page Top

#7 The left is a disgrace.

Posted by Thrans Splat1574 2013-10-24 17:18|| 2013-10-24 17:18|| Front Page Top

#8 " Does that require Presidential sign off?"

I'm afraid that a yes would be as troubling as a no.

Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 17:38|| 2013-10-24 17:38|| Front Page Top

#9 "But for this administration, I have nothing but disgust."

So do we, EC, so do we. :-(

Posted by Barbara 2013-10-24 18:29|| 2013-10-24 18:29|| Front Page Top

#10 Ditto Barbara.

I have one complaint with many of these comments.
What gave you people the idea that Oasshole considers the German people or gov't an ally?

That's past and doesn't apply to the O regime and his claque. Afterall, Germans gave a bad name to his preferred fascist/socalist tyranny.

Posted by AlanC 2013-10-24 18:48|| 2013-10-24 18:48|| Front Page Top

#11 The true America is right here, in this forum.

Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 20:16|| 2013-10-24 20:16|| Front Page Top

#12 I'm with EC on this one. There are some things which simply aren't done. Obama just got caught doing them.

Please, Europe, invade us. It would be a war of liberation.

Posted by Iblis 2013-10-24 20:20|| 2013-10-24 20:20|| Front Page Top

#13 But, but, but the Left SWORE Obama was going to repair the damage the US reputation that was so badly damaged by Bush!!!

And yes that's sarcasm

Posted by Chantry 2013-10-24 20:21|| 2013-10-24 20:21|| Front Page Top

#14 From what I read Merkel got the phone that was spied upon in 2009. Will be somewhat difficult to blame this on Bush.

I don't know if the U.S. media are reporting this as they should: This REALLY is serious. Germany's LEADING conservatives and transatlanticists are really upset this time. It's a breach of trust like we've never seen before.

Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 20:31|| 2013-10-24 20:31|| Front Page Top

#15 Y'all shouldn't trust our present government, EC.

We don't.

Posted by Barbara 2013-10-24 20:34|| 2013-10-24 20:34|| Front Page Top

#16 It's not so much about "trusting" a specific government. And of course you should trust a politician even less than a used car dealer. That's not the point.

This is more about the fundamental relationship between two nations.

Posted by European Conservative 2013-10-24 20:47|| 2013-10-24 20:47|| Front Page Top

#17 I think we're in a situation where we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. I have seen statements from people working AT the NSA that a whole lot of what is being peddled around is _bullshit_ but he couldn't prove it because to discuss actual capabilities and their limitations would be, well, a violation of all sorts of secrecy rules and information classification and the like.

(And Frankly...

* We just got finished with a 75 year period where we were in an existential struggle against either totalitarian states run by Germans or a totalitarian state installed by Germans in WW1 or the states that totalitarian state installed and/or used as proxies. There are STILL countries out there that are slave labor camps installed by the people the Germans installed to rule Russia. Their plantation foremen have the bomb and continue to make noises about destroying us. But we're supposed to believe in some "Gentlemen don't read other people's mail" bull####?

* Also, you handed your energy independence on a silver platter to a company controlled by someone whose job at the fall of the Soviet Union was spying on Germany. (So much for "unforgivableness"). One might suggest that if we really were spying on Germany that we'd actually do a better job of destroying your independence than y'all are doing yourselves right now. In a way it's a pity noone cares that Gerhard Schroeder could give away so much to Gazprom and then turn around and go to work for them. Maybe if we discovered it by Eeevil NSA spying instead of watching the evening news people would care.

* That whole situation also suggests that someone else is spying on Germany with a whole lot more success than the US is.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2013-10-24 20:54|| 2013-10-24 20:54|| Front Page Top

#18 Countries are turning to the United Nations for...action.

Posted by Thrans Splat1574 2013-10-24 21:03|| 2013-10-24 21:03|| Front Page Top

#19 Germany and the rest of Europe need to understand that we are no happier with this administration than they are -- in fact even less so, given Europe's leftism.

But if you truly want these idiots gone use your press. Tell the stories. Our press won't do it, but if the stories get told then this administration will promptly implode. Mock them. Investigate them. Quote them! That's all it will take.

Posted by Woodrow Guelph8541 2013-10-24 22:45|| 2013-10-24 22:45|| Front Page Top

22:45 Woodrow Guelph8541
22:26 Herb Gloluger9960
21:46 Herb Gloluger9960
21:40 Herb Gloluger9960
21:32 Herb Gloluger9960
21:31 Lone Ranger
21:22 Uncle Phester
21:19 Herb Gloluger9960
21:15 Thing From Snowy Mountain
21:03 Thrans Splat1574
20:54 Thing From Snowy Mountain
20:47 European Conservative
20:34 Barbara
20:32 eLarson
20:31 European Conservative
20:21 Chantry
20:20 Iblis
20:16 European Conservative
20:05 Herb Gloluger9960
20:04 Thing From Snowy Mountain
20:01 AlanC
18:52 Bill Clinton
18:51 Frank G
18:48 AlanC