they just went for her underlings since that wasn't implied.

of another Country's privacy? It seems dangerous, disingenuous and outright dumb.

The NSA agent told the Bild am Sonntag that Merkel’s name had indeed been wiped off the to-spy-on list, but added the agency had been since spying even more on her nearest circle. Thomas de Maizière stands out as one of the most important NSA targets in Germany. He ran the country’s Defense Ministry till December 2013 and is billed as Merkel’s closest ally who frequently gives her advice on the most vital home issues.

According to the NSA source, the agency was surprised at how important de Maizière’s opinion was for the chancellor. He said another reason why they chose to spy on the minister was his previous reputation as a likely NATO Secretary General.
“We wanted to know if he would make a reliable partner,” the US agent told the Bild am Sonntag.


The German newspaper also claims that de Maizière is just one of the country’s politicians who are being wiretapped by the NSA, with the total number of targets reaching some 320 rank-and-file political figures.


Translated for non german


http://derstandard.at/1392686070909/Innenminister-de-Maiziere-nun-statt-Merkel-im-Visier-der-NSA

"Washington did not spy on corporations in order to help U.S. firms gain competitive advantage."

We now know the opposite must be true!

but I wanted to include that linein the story.

sensationalism" and as having a huge influence on German politicians. Its nearest English-language stylistic and journalistic equivalent is often considered to be the British national newspaper The Sun, the second highest selling European tabloid newspaper, with which it shares a degree of rivalry. According to Der Spiegel, Bild is a newspaper that flies just under the nonsense threshold of American and British tabloids ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild

or promote

http://www.bild.de/

To judge from the current front page, Bild readers want a paper that shows buttocks. I learned from an article full of action-packed bare boobies that Micaela Schaefer didn't win the nude tobogganing title, which went to Dresben's Sandra Stegemann, who (Bild informs us) has pierced nipples! I also learned that Iris Berben is looking for a sperm donor! And Verna Cherin wanted to leave immediately after having sex with Marcus Schenkenberg!