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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMerkel: US Spying Has Shattered Allies' Trust
BRUSSELS (AP) European leaders united in anger Thursday as they attended a summit overshadowed by reports of widespread U.S. spying on its allies allegations German Chancellor Angela Merkel said had shattered trust in the Obama administration and undermined the crucial trans-Atlantic relationship.
The latest revelations that the U.S. National Security Agency swept up more than 70 million phone records in France and may have tapped Merkel's own cellphone brought denunciations from the French and German governments.
Merkel's unusually stern remarks as she arrived at the European Union gathering indicated she wasn't placated by a phone conversation she had Wednesday with President Barack Obama, or his personal assurances that the U.S. is not listening in on her calls now.
"We need trust among allies and partners," Merkel told reporters in Brussels. "Such trust now has to be built anew. This is what we have to think about."
"The United States of America and Europe face common challenges. We are allies," the German leader said. "But such an alliance can only be built on trust. That's why I repeat again: spying among friends, that cannot be."
MORE...
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-spying-has-shattered-allies-trust-merkel
Tarheel_Dem
(31,235 posts)Purveyor
(29,876 posts)Who the hell do they think they are, anyway?
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)libdem4life
(13,877 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,366 posts)Thanks for the thread, Purveyor.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)Snowden fled to Hong Kong (a Chinese protectorate) and then Russia.
Coincidence?
Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)If we weren't spying on our allies, then that relationship wouldn't be harmed, and Russia and China wouldn't be looking to profit from our arrogance.
That is the rub. It is our actions that have precipitated this disaster of international relations because we didn't stop to question if we should do something just because we can.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)It's important to not only examine the questions about NSA, but also the agendas of the players involved in not only the spying, but the release of information.
Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)Imagine this for a moment. A man is headed into a restaurant for his wife's birthday party. The wife intercepts him and demands to know if he slept with Linda, her friend. He is outraged that Linda told on this day. That is what the posts objecting to the timing sound like. Sure he cheated on his wife, but telling her on her Birthday was just wrong.
Of course they are timing the stories. This way they get outraged politicians and keep the story going for another couple days, or weeks, with battling quotes. Secretary Kerry isn't over there for anything more important than grip and grin photo ops. No treaties are in the works except small arms in the UN which won't clear the Senate, and the TPP which sadly will. The TPP is the Pacific, which doesn't have much to do with Europe. So kneecapping as you say does what except embarrass us which we should be because we are the ones who cheated on Mary with Linda.
Cha
(297,323 posts)Uncle Joe
(58,366 posts)Merkel's unusually stern remarks as she arrived at the European Union gathering indicated she wasn't placated by a phone conversation she had Wednesday with President Barack Obama, or his personal assurances that the U.S. is not listening in on her calls now.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)has been the 'top of the hour' all day.
Uncle Joe
(58,366 posts)"we're doing it to fight terrorism."
It also brings home as to why the 4th Amendment should be regarded as a most precious civil right.
As they abuse the system to wiretap the phones of the leaders; governing our "free world allies," one would be a fool to believe they're not already or won't do the same thing here in the U.S. for political and corporate reasons.
DrDan
(20,411 posts)woo me with science
(32,139 posts)not only of US mass surveillance of its own citizens, but now also use of the NSA for corporate spying:
The NSA spied on the Italian government and companies, for reasons beyond terrorism.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023914591
This is subversion of the powers of a Democratic government to serve corporate interests.
This sounds very much like the behavior of corporate fascism.
Uncle Joe
(58,366 posts)leftstreet
(36,109 posts)Autumn
(45,107 posts)a hell of a lot of it's own citizens in their government. Spying on your own citizens, that cannot be. But there it is.
treestar
(82,383 posts)You spy on allies to make sure you find out if they are going to stop being allies.
This has been going on since the dawn of the nation state.
Why would we ever trust the Germans enough to let down our guard regarding them?
Uncle Joe
(58,366 posts)Why would we ever trust the Germans enough to let down our guard regarding them?
treestar
(82,383 posts)We have WWI and WWII and we have to watch out before they start WWIII. Maybe they've calmed down now and gotten over the we-must-conquer-the-world thing.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)German Police Used Only 85 Bullets Against People in 2011
RobertEarl
(13,685 posts)Now if Merkel was an American we wouldn't be spying on her cuz we don't spy on Americans. Oh, wait....
treestar
(82,383 posts)Isn't that supposed to be what they are for? And you can bet they spy on us. And have a lot more they can get from us.
When it comes to a foreign leader, what have they got to hide? And why couldn't they figure it out and stop it? More pertinent, surely they already knew? They didn't need Eddie Snowden and the gang to let them know.