Merka is bugging Yerup!

[Coito ergo sum]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ju ... ean-allies New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies
Exclusive: Edward Snowden papers reveal 38 targets including EU, France and Italy

John Kerry says "nothing to see here" -- it's pretty commonplace -- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... table.html

Query: isn't it generally illegal to place listening devices in private areas and record people's private conversations? Would this kind of bugging be considered wiretapping or illegal eavesdropping? Apparently the Germans think it's a concern -- http://www.spiegel.de/international/ger ... 08636.html

EDIT to clarify: This of course has nothing to do with the Obama administration, which has only been in power for 4 1/2 years.

[Clinton Huxley]

Surely every nation with the capability tries to bug every other nation whatever chance it gets.

[Animavore]

Can't say I'm not supportive of this. I still don't trust the Germans or the British. Someone needs to keep an eye on the. Make sure they're not up to mischief.

[Coito ergo sum]

Surely every nation with the capability tries to bug every other nation whatever chance it gets.

Do they? Then I suppose the Yerpeeins are being hypocritical and opportunistic with their feigned outcries and objections to the Merkins' conduct...

[Clinton Huxley]

Surely every nation with the capability tries to bug every other nation whatever chance it gets.

Do they? Then I suppose the Yerpeeins are being hypocritical and opportunistic with their feigned outcries and objections to the Merkins' conduct...

Probably yes, they are. Are the NSA and GCHQ the only ones being light-fingered with the old info? I doubt it.

[Coito ergo sum]

http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/01/world/eur ... index.html

The European Commission will sweep its office for electronic listening devices and other security breaches following revelations of alleged U.S. surveillance programs targeting European leaders, a commission spokeswoman said Monday.
They've also put out some pointed questions for their U.S. allies to answer about the allegations, spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen said Monday.
READ: Europe furious, 'shocked' by report of U.S. spying
"The EU is now expecting to hear from the U.S. authorities," she said. "And let me state clearly, that clarity and transparency is what we expect from our partners and allies, and this is what we expect from the United States."
The planned security sweep comes amid building outrage in Europe over allegations that the National Security Agency had bugged EU offices in Washington and New York and conducted an "electronic eavesdropping operation" that tapped into an EU building in Brussels, Belgium.

For folks who are full of false outrage, they're putting themselves out on a limb.... either they're going to find bugs from many different countries hidden all over the place, or they're going to cover up the non-Merkin ones....

[Coito ergo sum]

Germany summoning US Ambassador over this.... http://www.cnbc.com/id/100855845

Apparently, they are pretending this is uncommon and unacceptable, when in fact it is quit commonplace and not unusual...

[Rum]

Everybody knows everybody is trying to bug everybody. But no one is supposed to actually know, because if you really know then it isn't secret any more, even though it isn't.

[Coito ergo sum]

Everybody knows everybody is trying to bug everybody. But no one is supposed to actually know, because if you really know then it isn't secret any more, even though it isn't.

Is it now? So, Germany is out there bugging everybody, but they just haven't been caught yet?

[Animavore]

I heard the Germans had infiltrated the Royal family.

[Clinton Huxley]

Given that this information has come out into the public domain, how would you expect Germany and France to react?
Also interesting to note that Germany is spending $100 million on its own Internet monitoring programme. The German foreign intelligence service has more than 6000 employees, I doubt they are just twiddling their thumbs.

[Coito ergo sum]

I heard the Germans had infiltrated the Royal family.

I heard the Royal Family's family tree has no branches.'

[Coito ergo sum]

Given that this information has come out into the public domain, how would you expect Germany and France to react?
Also interesting to note that Germany is spending $100 million on its own Internet monitoring programme. The German foreign intelligence service has more than 6000 employees, I doubt they are just twiddling their thumbs.

If they were doing it themselves, I would expect them not to make a tremendous fuss about it publicly, because they're liable to be found out and look like like lying hypocrites. Unless, of course, the Yerpeeins are just so much better at covert surveillance that there just is no reasonable chance of them being found out....

[Azathoth]

I heard the Germans had infiltrated the Royal family.

I heard the Royal Family's family tree has no branches.'

It is more like a willow fence than a tree

[Clinton Huxley]

Given that this information has come out into the public domain, how would you expect Germany and France to react?
Also interesting to note that Germany is spending $100 million on its own Internet monitoring programme. The German foreign intelligence service has more than 6000 employees, I doubt they are just twiddling their thumbs.

If they were doing it themselves, I would expect them not to make a tremendous fuss about it publicly, because they're liable to be found out and look like like lying hypocrites. Unless, of course, the Yerpeeins are just so much better at covert surveillance that there just is no reasonable chance of them being found out....

I think a) they are doing it themselves, though probably to a lesser degree, b) the outrage is mostly spin, going through the motions. As for the risk that politicians may end up looking like lying hypocrites....well, that never happens.