Angela Merkel Rebukes US and Britain over NSA Surveillance

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Chancellor says Germany and US still 'far apart' on sweeping surveillance and spying activities revealed by Edward Snowden

German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a strong rebuke to the United States and Britain on Wednesday over sweeping surveillance and spying activities reported by fugitive IT contractor Edward Snowden.

In a major speech to parliament ahead of talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, Merkel said that Western powers sacrificing freedom in the quest for security were sending the wrong signal to "billions of people living in undemocratic states".

"Actions in which the ends justify the means, in which everything that is technically possible is done, violate trust, they sow distrust," she said. "The end result is not more security but less." » | AFP | Wednesday, January 29, 2014

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Regierungserklärung der Kanzlerin: Merkel beklagt Vertrauensbruch durch US-Geheimdienste: Angela Merkel hat die Ausspähung durch ausländische Geheimdienste scharf kritisiert. "Das zerstört Vertrauen", sagte die Kanzlerin in ihrer Regierungserklärung im Bundestag. Gleichwohl gestalteten sich die Verhandlungen über ein No-Spy-Abkommen mit den USA schwierig. » | syd | Mittwoch, 29. Januar 2014

US Federal Judge: NSA Phone Surveillance Program Likely Unconstitutional

A judge in America has ruled that the National Security Agency may have violated the Constitution by collecting telephone data. It follows a lawsuit over privacy violations - the first such judgement in open court. The NSA's been ordered to stop collecting data and to destroy the data it's already gathered. But it can't come into force yet because the government has at least 6 months to appeal. Chris Kitze, who moved his secure online messaging service to avoid U.S. intelligence control, says people would comply with legal searches - but not mass secret surveillance. Josh Gerstain, a Senior White House Reporter, considers that Snowden's revelations made the courts take the side of the victims of surveillance

Obama Review Panel: Strip NSA of Power to Collect Phone Data Records

THE GUARDIAN: • Review proposes greater authority for spying on foreign leaders • Government 'should be banned from undermining encryption' • Forty-six recommendations in 300-page report released early

The National Security Agency should be banned from attempting to undermine the security of the internet and stripped of its power to collect telephone records in bulk, a White House review panel recommended on Wednesday.

In a 300-page report prepared for President Obama, the panel made 46 recommendations, including that the authority for spying on foreign leaders should be granted at a higher level than at present.

Though far less sweeping than campaigners have urged, and yet to be ratified by Obama, the report by his Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology comes as the White House faces growing pressure over its so-called “bulk collection” programs from US courts and business interests.

Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled that the bulk collection program, first revealed by the Guardian in June through a court order against Verizon, was likely to be in violation of the US constitution, describing it as “almost Orwellian” in scope.

The White House was stung into releasing the report weeks earlier than expected after meeting America’s largest internet companies on Tuesday. The firms warned that failure to rebuild public trust in communications privacy could damage the US economy. » | Dan Roberts in Washington and Spencer Ackerman in New York | Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Merkel Compared NSA to Stasi in Heated Encounter with Obama

THE GUARDIAN: German chancellor furious after revelations US intelligence agency listened in on her personal mobile phone

In an angry exchange with Barack Obama, Angela Merkel has compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi, the ubiquitous and all-powerful secret police of the communist dictatorship in East Germany, where she grew up.

The German chancellor also told the US president that America's National Security Agency cannot be trusted because of the volume of material it had allowed to leak to the whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to the New York Times.

Livid after learning from Der Spiegel magazine that the Americans were listening in to her personal mobile phone, Merkel confronted Obama with the accusation: "This is like the Stasi."

The newspaper also reported that Merkel was particularly angry that, based on the disclosures, "the NSA clearly couldn't be trusted with private information, because they let Snowden clean them out."

Snowden is to testify on the NSA scandal to a European parliament inquiry next month, to the anger of Washington which is pressuring the EU to stop the testimony. » | Ian Traynor in Brussels and Paul Lewis in Washington | Tuesday, December 17, 2013

NSA Mass Phone Surveillance Programme 'Unconstitutional'

Jay Carney

BBC: A US judge has ruled the National Security Agency's mass collection of telephone data unconstitutional.

The agency's collection of "metadata" including telephone numbers and times and dates of calls was brought to light by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

The White House dismissed the suggestion Mr Snowden receive amnesty if he stopped leaking documents.

In his ruling in a Washington DC federal court on Monday, Mr Leon called the NSA's surveillance programme "indiscriminate" and an "almost Orwellian technology that enables the government to store and analyze the phone metadata of every telephone user in the United States". 'Irreparable harm' » | Monday, December 16, 2013

SophieCo: 'Encrypted Services Easier to Hack Than Typewriters - For Safety Go Back to Basics'

As the international diplomatic crisis over NSA surveillance widens, the US is scrambling to justify its actions. While we're waiting to learn exactly what Obama wanted to hear in the conversations of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the question remains. Will mass surveillance be rolled back? Or will the world have to accept the presence of this one Big Brother? Our guest today is British Labour MEP, Claude Moraes, head of the European delegation that went to Washington to seek clarification for the NSA's actions

Inside Story: The Diplomatic Cost of US Surveillance

As Washington reviews its intelligence gathering operations, what do revelations mean for relations with Europe?

John Kerry Admits US Spying Has 'Reached Too Far'

John Kerry

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: US secretary of state promises some US spying practices will end as global outrage at surveillance builds

John Kerry, the US secretary of state, has admitted that some of America's spying activities have "reached too far".

He said many of the surveillance practices were carried out "on automatic pilot, because the technology is there and the ability is there."

Speaking to a conference in London via viedolink [sic], Mr Kerry promised that a review of National Security Agency surveillance work would result in some spying activities being halted altogether.

"The president and I have learned of some things that have been happening in many ways on an automatic pilot, because the technology is there and the ability is there," he said.

"I assure you, innocent people are not being abused in this process, but there's an effort to try to gather information, but in some cases, some of these actions have reached too far and we are going to try to make sure it doesn't happen in the future." Read on and comment » | Bonnie Malkin and agencies | Friday, November 01, 2013

'Cameron Declared War on Media over NSA Leaks'

The British government has warned it could resort to legal action, to silence newspapers seeking to publish Edward Snowden's NSA revelations. It's the latest in a string of attempts to block the release of embarrassing documents. To talk more about the NSA revelations and the UK government's attempts to curb them, I'm joined live now from Bristol by investigative journalist Tony Gosling.

As Europe Erupts Over US Spying, NSA Chief Says Government Must Stop Media

NSA Director, General Keith Alexander

THE GUARDIAN: With General Alexander calling for NSA reporting to be halted, US and UK credibility as guardians of press freedom is crushed

The most under-discussed aspect of the NSA story has long been its international scope. That all changed this week as both Germany and France exploded with anger over new revelations about pervasive NSA surveillance on their population and democratically elected leaders.

As was true for Brazil previously, reports about surveillance aimed at leaders are receiving most of the media attention, but what really originally drove the story there were revelations that the NSA is bulk-spying on millions and millions of innocent citizens in all of those nations. The favorite cry of US government apologists -– everyone spies! -– falls impotent in the face of this sort of ubiquitous, suspicionless spying that is the sole province of the US and its four English-speaking surveillance allies (the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand). » | Glenn Greenwald | Friday, October 25, 2013

Spain Summons US Ambassador over Claim NSA Tracked 60m Calls a Month

Mariano Rajoy, Prime Minister of Sapin

THE GUARDIAN: El Mundo newspaper reports having seen NSA document that reveals extent of agency's monitoring of Spanish phone calls

The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has summoned the US ambassador to explain the latest revelations to emerge from the files leaked by Edward Snowden, which suggest the National Security Agency tracked more than 60m phone calls in Spain in the space of a month.

Spain's European secretary of state, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, is meeting James Costos as the White House struggles to contain a growing diplomatic crisis following accusations that the NSA monitored the phones of scores of allies, including the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.

El Mundo newspaper reported on Monday that it had seen an NSA document that showed the US spy agency had intercepted 60.5m phone calls in Spain between 10 December 2012 and 8 January this year. » | Paul Hamilos in Madrid | Monday, October 28, 2013

EL MUNDO: Margallo: si se confirma el espionaje, podría suponer 'ruptura de confianza' entre España y EEUU » | Ana Romero | Madrid | Lunes, 28 de octubre 2013

EL MUNDO: La NSA niega que Obama aprobara el espionaje a Merkel » | Europa Press – Berlin, Reuters – Washington | Lunes, 28 de Octubre 2013

Embassy Espionage: The NSA's Secret Spy Hub in Berlin

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: According to SPIEGEL research, United States intelligence agencies have not only targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel's cell phone, but they have also used the American Embassy in Berlin as a listening station. The revelations now pose a serious threat to German-American relations.

It's a prime site, a diplomat's dream. Is there any better location for an embassy than Berlin's Pariser Platz? It's just a few paces from here to the Reichstag. When the American ambassador steps out the door, he looks directly onto the Brandenburg Gate.

When the United States moved into the massive embassy building in 2008, they threw a huge party. Over 4,500 guests were invited. Former President George H. W. Bush cut the red-white-and-blue ribbon. Chancellor Angela Merkel offered warm words for the occasion. Since then, when the US ambassador receives high-ranking visitors, they often take a stroll out to the roof terrace, which offers a breathtaking view of the Reichstag and Tiergarten park. Even the Chancellery can be glimpsed. This is the political heart of the republic, where billion-euro budgets are negotiated, laws are formulated and soldiers are sent to war. It's an ideal location for diplomats -- and for spies.

Research by SPIEGEL reporters in Berlin and Washington, talks with intelligence officials and the evaluation of internal documents of the US' National Security Agency and other information, most of which comes from the archive of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, lead to the conclusion that the US diplomatic mission in the German capital has not merely been promoting German-American friendship. On the contrary, it is a nest of espionage. From the roof of the embassy, a special unit of the CIA and NSA can apparently monitor a large part of cell phone communication in the government quarter. And there is evidence that agents based at Pariser Platz recently targeted the cell phone that Merkel uses the most. » | SPIEGEL Staff | Sunday, October 27, 2013

Germany Presses for 'Complete Information' on U.S. Spying Allegations

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Germany’s interior minister is pressing for “complete information” from Washington on the alleged U.S. surveillance of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone and any other snooping.

Merkel complained to President Barack Obama on Wednesday after receiving information her phone may have been monitored. German spy chiefs plan to travel to Washington for talks.

Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich was quoted Sunday as telling newspaper Bild am Sonntag he wants “complete information on all accusations” and that “if the Americans intercepted cellphones in Germany, they broke German law on German soil.” He added wiretapping is a crime and “those responsible must be held accountable.”

News magazine Der Spiegel, whose research prompted the government’s response, reported that a document apparently from an NSA database indicates Merkel’s cellphone was first listed as a target in 2002.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State John Kerry lands in Rome and Paris to talk about Mideast issues but is confronted by outrage over U.S. spying abroad. President Barack Obama has defended surveillance activities to leaders of Russia, Mexico, Brazil, France and Germany. » | The Associated Press | Washington | Sunday, October 27, 2013

Barack Obama 'Approved Tapping Angela Merkel's Phone 3 Years Ago'

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama was told about monitoring of German Chancellor in 2010 and allowed it to continue, says German newspaper

President Barack Obama was personally informed about secret US monitoring of Angela Merkel three years ago, according to latest reports on the eavesdropping affair.

The President allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) to continue spying on the German chancellor, it was claimed.

Mr Obama was told of the secret monitoring of Mrs Merkel by General Keith Alexander, the head of the NSA, in 2010, according to Bild am Sonntag, a German newspaper.

“Obama did not stop the action at that time but allowed it to continue,” a US intelligence source close to the NSA operation told the Sunday newspaper.

The White House later commissioned an extensive NSA dossier about Mrs Merkel, according to Bild. » | Louise Barnett, Berlin and Philip Sherwell, New York | Sunday, October 27, 2013

My comment:

Obama's presidency is falling apart. He has p***** off so many of his friends and allies in a matter of weeks: France, Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Brazil. He is leading America down a road that will both impoverish the country and destroy its reputation in the world. I see that respectable German newspapers are already talking of a post-American era. Obama talked so much of "hope and change" before his first election victory. What he should have talked of is 'despair and destruction'. Americans beware: It takes a long time to build a wonderful nation, but it can be destroyed in short order. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Stop Watching Us: Largest Privacy Rally in US History Hits DC

Crowds are flooding Capitol Hill in Washington DC, venting their fury against the NSA's sweeping surveillance practices. The organisers say it's the largest pro-privacy rally in US history.

EU Leaders Warn US 'Spying' Could Harm Fight Against Terror

Angela Merkel with François Hollande

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Germany and France demand US signs up to new international “code of conduct” on intelligence gathering after EU leaders warn revelations over 'snooping’ damaged trust and hampered the fight against terrorism

In an unprecedented statement, breaking the taboo that European leaders should not discuss national security or secret service operations, the German Chancellor and French President called for a new transatlantic pact to prevent American intelligence services spying on Europe.

“We need a code of good conduct to be adopted by the Europeans and we ourselves have to be clear that we should not do what we don’t want others to do,” said François Hollande, the French leader.

“France and Germany will take an initiative. We will start discussing the matter with the Americans in order to agree a common framework that will be done by the end of the year, and the other Europeans who would like to join us will be welcome.”

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said new international agreements were needed to hold spy agencies in check, after it emerged on Thursday that her mobile phone may have been bugged by an American listening post in Berlin.

“The US has every reason for wanting to have friends in the world of today. Trust needs to be rebuilt. That implies trust has been severely shaken,” she said. “Words will not be sufficient. True change will be needed.” » | Bruno Waterfield, and Christopher Hope in Brussels and Peter Foster | Friday, October 25, 2013

US Spying: Britain Forced to Sign EU Statement Expressing 'Deep Concern'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain signs EU statement that is critical of US spying on European governments

Britain has been forced to sign a European Union statement expressing "deep concern" over American, or any other country's, intelligence activities that undermine trust between Europe's governments.

Following tense talks on the conduct of intelligence operations, including accusations that Britain was spying on Italy, David Cameron was forced by 27 other European leaders to sign the common EU statement in the early hours of this morning.

"Heads of state or government discussed recent developments concerning possible intelligence issues and the deep concerns that these events have raised among European citizens," the statement said.

"This applies to relations between European countries as well as to relations with the USA. A lack of trust could prejudice the necessary cooperation in the field of intelligence gathering."

The reference to "relations between European countries" is said by EU diplomats to be a criticism of Britain and GCHQ's widespread intelligence gathering in Europe. » | Bruno Waterfield, and Christopher Hope in Brussels | Friday, October 25, 2013

My comment:

Britain forced to sign EU statement expressing 'deep concern'

Rightly so! Britain is in the EU, isn't it? Why should special rules apply for the UK? You either play by the rules, or get out.

US espionage is totally and utterly unacceptable. And so is ours. Is privacy now to be consigned to the dustbin of history? Obama is p****** off just about all his allies with his spying. And so will we if we follow America's lead. It's shameful. – © Mark

This comment appears here too.

Spying Row: Merkel Urges US to Restore Trust at EU Summit

BBC: Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has said it is "really not on" for friends to spy on each other, referring to alleged US snooping on her phone calls.

On arrival at an EU summit in Brussels Mrs Merkel said "we need trust between allies and partners, and such trust needs to be restored".

She said she had given that message to US President Barack Obama when they spoke on Wednesday.

Other EU leaders also voiced concern about the scale of US surveillance.

The spying row threatens to overshadow EU talks on economic growth and migration to the EU. Mrs Merkel has demanded a "complete explanation" of the claims, which came out in the German media.

She grew up in former communist East Germany, where secret police surveillance was pervasive.

Her delegation in Brussels confirmed she had met briefly to discuss the issue with France's President Francois Hollande, who has expressed alarm at reports that millions of French calls have been monitored by the US.

There is concern that the furore could jeopardise EU-US talks on reaching a major free trade deal. The head of Germany's Social Democrats (SPD), Sigmar Gabriel, said such a deal was hard to imagine if the US had infringed citizens' privacy. The SPD is in coalition talks with Chancellor Merkel. (+ video) » | Thursday, October 24, 2013

Obama Left Increasingly Isolated as Anger Builds among Key US Allies

THE GUARDIAN: Merkel the latest to rebuke Washington over NSA spying while US relationships in the Middle East are also unravelling

International anger over US government surveillance has combined with a backlash against its current Middle East policy to leave President Obama increasingly isolated from many of his key foreign allies, according to diplomats in Washington.

The furious call that German chancellor Angela Merkel made to the White House on Wednesday to ask if her phone had been tapped was the latest in a string of diplomatic rebukes by allies including France, Brazil and Mexico, all of which have distanced themselves from the US following revelations of spying by the National Security Agency.

But the collapse in trust of the US among its European and South American partners has been matched by an equally rapid deterioration in its relationships with key allies in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia this week joined Israel, Jordan and United Arab Emirates in signalling a shift in its relations with the US over its unhappiness at a perceived policy of rapprochement toward Iran and Syria.

Though the issues are largely unrelated, they have led to a flurry of diplomatic activity from Washington, which is anxious to avoid a more permanent rift in the network of alliances that has been central to its foreign policy since the second world war.

Secretary of state John Kerry has been meeting with Saudi and Israeli leaders in an effort to keep them involved in Middle East peace talks about Palestine and Syria, Obama met Wednesday with Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif to reassure him over separate anxiety over US drone attacks, and the White House has been privately trying to mend fences with world leaders on the surveillance issue.

"The [NSA] revelations have clearly caused tension in our relationships with some countries and we are dealing with that through diplomatic channels," said White House spokesman Jay Carney on Thursday.

"These are very important relations both economically and for our security, and we will work to maintain the closest possible ties."

But the Guardian has spoken with several diplomats and foreign government officials – all of whom agreed to talk only on the condition of anonymity – who say the White House is still underestimating the anger felt over recent disclosures. » | Dan Roberts and Paul Lewis in Washington | Thursday, October 24, 2013

World Leaders 'Had Their Phones Monitored by US Spies'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: At least 35 world leaders had their phones monitored by US spies, it has been claimed, an escalating diplomatic row between Europe and America

Hours after Angela Merkel confronted President Barack Obama over allegations that her personal mobile had been tapped, new documents showed that US surveillance extended to dozens of other heads of government.

The National Security Agency (NSA) encouraged other US government departments to share their "rolodexes" of foreign contacts which were then targeted.

"Such 'rolodexes' may contain contact information for foreign political or military leaders, to include direct line, fax, residence and cellular numbers," according to one document given to The Guardian by Edward Snowden, the fugitive leaker.

The White House told The Telegraph the US had never monitored David Cameron's communications but would not give the same assurance about other leaders.

"We are not going to comment publicly on every specific alleged intelligence activity," said Caitlin Hayden, a White House spokeswoman. » | Raf Sanchez | Thursday, October 24, 2013