BOMBSHELL! Report: President Knew Of Spying On Merkel, Ok'd It...

[paulitician]

Obama knew of NSA's spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel and approved of the efforts, an agency official has reportedly told a German newspaper, claiming president 'not only did not stop the operation,' but 'ordered it to continue.'

A new report claims that the United States has been monitoring German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone since 2002 and alleges that the German leader's mobile phone number had been present on a special surveillance list used by the National Security Agency as late as this past June.

The report was published in the German magazine Der Spiegel Saturday. If true, the report would mean that monitoring of Merkel's phone began before the 59-year-old was elected Chancellor in 2005. In 2002, Merkel was the leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, then in opposition.

It is not clear what the nature of the monitoring was, according to Der Spiegel. It is not known whether Merkel's conversations were recorded or if her contacts were scrutinized.

Earlier this week, reports of NSA monitoring of calls made by French and German citizens prompted the foreign ministries of both countries to summon the respective American ambassadors for an explanation.

The revelations stemming from leaks by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden threaten to undermine U.S. foreign policy in a range of areas.

In Washington, demonstrators held up signs reading "Thank you, Edward Snowden!" as they marched and rallied near the U.S. Capitol Saturday to demand that Congress investigate the NSA's mass surveillance programs...

Read More:
Report claims US had Merkel's phone monitored since 2002 | Fox News

 

[Sallow]

What wiretap?

 

[ba1614]

Well whatever he heard he must've ignored, she's actually leading her country fairly well

 

[TheOldSchool]

Good. I hope we continue. You think Russia and China aren't doing or trying to do the same thing? Or, for that matter, Germany's not trying in any way to spy on us?

 

[paulitician]

Good. I hope we continue. You think Russia and China aren't doing or trying to do the same thing? Or, for that matter, Germany's not trying in any way to spy on us?

Sad and flawed logic. These are our Friends.

 

[Stephanie]

Obama is deliberately trying to hurt us and bring us down to our knee's...he should be tried and sent to jail

 

[depotoo]

if this has been a REpublican administration, the left would be calling for their head. Double standards and all that, ya know, yet never to admit to it.

 

[Vox]

Of course, he did.

the problem is not spying - they all do it - the problem is - they got caught and they should not have been caught.
It is a sign of a failure similar to obamacare - which is a proof that this whole administration is a constant failure

 

[aaronleland]

if this has been a REpublican administration, the left would be calling for their head. Double standards and all that, ya know, yet never to admit to it.

The report says they had been monitoring her phone since 2002. It WAS a Republican administration that started it. Obama is only continuing Bush's policies.

 

[aaronleland]

Of course, he did.

the problem is not spying - they all do it - the problem is - they got caught and they should not have been caught.
It is a sign of a failure similar to obamacare - which is a proof that this whole administration is a constant failure

I disagree on two points. I believe our spying on allies is wrong no matter which party does it. And I wouldn't call it part of failed policy, because nobody would have known had Edward Snowden not leaked the information. This leak could have taken place under any administration. Obama didn't hire Snowden himself.

 

[Londoner]

In 2009 Obama talked about changing the provisions of the Patriot Act along with adding more oversight to NSA spying (which became an anti-Constitutional nightmare under Bush before it was reeled in by Ashcroft).

The second after Obama spoke about reviewing all the secret government structures Bush put in place to "fight terrorism", Dick Chaney went on FOX News to complain that Obama was soft on Terrorism. And the entire Rightwing information system went into overdrive, claiming that Obama was going to dismantle the Bush Surveillance Apparatus that was so crucial to protecting Americans.

However, I sided with Ron Paul and the CATO Institute, both of whom said that if we increase the surveillance powers of Washington, than those powers would be abused, and American privacy would eventually be destroyed (whereas terrorism would continue to flourish). See the law of unintended consequences, that is, Government usually makes things worse.

Welcome to the Soviet Union. They propagandized very real national security threats in order to scare the population into giving the State massive surveillance powers. Even worse, they wrapped this surveillance power in pure secrecy with very little oversight. This turned out to be a recipe for abuse because the State began to use this newfound power to hunt and destroy domestic political enemies. The same thing happened here. After Eliot Spitzer published a scathing critique of the Bush Administration's role in the Wall Street Meltdown, the Bush Fed used the Patriot Act to erect a surveillance web around his financial activity - and then they waited until he made a mistake. While Spitzer's fall was appropriate, Ron Paul helps us understand that we don't want Big Government to use Terrorism Provisions to hunt domestic political opponents. For instance, what if a Democratic President used the Patriot Act to track the financial activity of gun owners?

This is the point. Once you create a Government Agency, it never goes away. It only gets bigger. And it usually only serves those in power, who use it not to protect the nation but to protect their political power.

Tragically, we count on libertarians to hold both parties accountable - but, the Republicans have captured a large portion of the Libertarian movement. This means that when we have a Republican President, it's much easier for that president to do exactly what Bush did, which is to build a Big Government Surveillance State. Because Republicans are so loyal to their leadership, we can only work on this surveillance problem when a democrat is in office - and even then, it's nearly impossible because Dick Chaney is waiting in the trees to spring down upon anyone who tries to curb Washington's spying capacity (which he put in place). So we're fucked.

 

[TheOldSchool]

if this has been a REpublican administration, the left would be calling for their head. Double standards and all that, ya know, yet never to admit to it.

If it were a Republican administration the right's endless outrage would be directed at unpatriotic liberals who wanted Europe to rule over us

A republican talking about double-standards... unbelievable

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

if this has been a REpublican administration, the left would be calling for their head. Double standards and all that, ya know, yet never to admit to it.

The report says they had been monitoring her phone since 2002. It WAS a Republican administration that started it. Obama is only continuing Bush's policies.

And both Bush and Obama were correct to do so.

It would be naïve and foolish to do otherwise; ‘trust but verify’ has always been a wise policy.

And the next administration will also authorize monitoring allies’ communications, be that administration democratic or republican.

The OP succeeds in only exhibiting his childish, school boy’s understanding of politics.

 

[Vox]

Of course, he did.

the problem is not spying - they all do it - the problem is - they got caught and they should not have been caught.
It is a sign of a failure similar to obamacare - which is a proof that this whole administration is a constant failure

I disagree on two points. I believe our spying on allies is wrong no matter which party does it. And I wouldn't call it part of failed policy, because nobody would have known had Edward Snowden not leaked the information. This leak could have taken place under any administration. Obama didn't hire Snowden himself.

you are hilarious.

if they would not spy on American people - Snowden would not have the reason to make his announcements. and they began to spy on Americans during Obama administration and not only extended the program, but widened it so now it engulfs everyone.

so it is a FAIL in all dimensions for this administration

 

[LoneLaugher]

Holy shit. You fuckers are assholes.

 

[aaronleland]

Of course, he did.

the problem is not spying - they all do it - the problem is - they got caught and they should not have been caught.
It is a sign of a failure similar to obamacare - which is a proof that this whole administration is a constant failure

I disagree on two points. I believe our spying on allies is wrong no matter which party does it. And I wouldn't call it part of failed policy, because nobody would have known had Edward Snowden not leaked the information. This leak could have taken place under any administration. Obama didn't hire Snowden himself.

you are hilarious.

if they would not spy on American people - Snowden would not have the reason to make his announcements. and they began to spy on Americans during Obama administration and not only extended the program, but widened it so now it engulfs everyone.

so it is a FAIL in all dimensions for this administration

Mass surveillance of Americans started under the Bush administration. Surveillance of individual Americans dates back to the Cold War. I'm sure you know that, but don't let facts get in the way of your irrational hatred towards Obama.

 

[depotoo]

if this has been a REpublican administration, the left would be calling for their head. Double standards and all that, ya know, yet never to admit to it.

The report says they had been monitoring her phone since 2002. It WAS a Republican administration that started it. Obama is only continuing Bush's policies.

and that has what to do with the fact that the revelation of such, which if you are honest with yourself has been done for ever really, was under this administration through massive security leaks?

I do believe it is rather odd, though, that suddenly this report is coming out that it may have been started in 2002, when she wasn't even elected by that time. Seems someone may be trying to place the blame back on others, and take away the focus of the fact that it was this administration in which the breach occurred.

 

[ScienceRocks]

America has been spying on countries for as long as it has been a country.

What do you want us to do? Illogical idiots will be idiots until something bad happens and then they will slip away quietly.

 

[ScienceRocks]

I disagree on two points. I believe our spying on allies is wrong no matter which party does it. And I wouldn't call it part of failed policy, because nobody would have known had Edward Snowden not leaked the information. This leak could have taken place under any administration. Obama didn't hire Snowden himself.

you are hilarious.

if they would not spy on American people - Snowden would not have the reason to make his announcements. and they began to spy on Americans during Obama administration and not only extended the program, but widened it so now it engulfs everyone.

so it is a FAIL in all dimensions for this administration

Mass surveillance of Americans started under the Bush administration. Surveillance of individual Americans dates back to the Cold War. I'm sure you know that, but don't let facts get in the way of your irrational hatred towards Obama.

Bingo....

I am against mass surveillance of Americans but they're plain nuts if they think we shouldn't spy on other countries.

 

[Serioususername]

Sad and flawed logic. These are our Friends.

Holy crap, that's Naive as shit-Trust is a pretty word in your marriage. You don't bet as many lives as you would have to with America on it.