US 'bugged Merkel's phone from 2002'

[AtW]

Which was 3 years before she became chancellor, what were they afraid of?

They wanted to know her views in advance since she had chance to become head of state.

There isn't much about NSA success in listening into Chinese, Russian leaders - I get this feeling that allies were just soft target that could get somebody easy promotion/bonus.

[darmstadt]

BBC News - US bugged Merkel's phone from 2002 until 2013, report claims

Which was 3 years before she became chancellor, what were they afraid of? Amerikkka, the new stasi/gestapo/SAVAK/PIDE/whatever...

[AtW]

I pity the poor buggers who had to transcribe those calls.

It was probably a form of internal punishment.

[minestrone]

I pity the poor buggers who had to transcribe those calls.

[eek]

She is shocked that there is actual hard evidence that proves it.

If you are playing fast and loose with the rules never leave evidence behind.

[AtW]

Very senior politicians like Merkel will be well aware of this sort of thing as they will be briefed by their security people, this shocked and surprised act has very little credibility.

She is shocked that there is actual hard evidence that proves it.

[AtW]

Fascists!!!

[sasguru]

Any senior politician, military or civil servant that doesn't assume that their private email, internet and phone comms are routinely bugged is incredibly naive. .

Aye. The Germans do it too only less successfully

[Churchill]

Any senior politician, military or civil servant that doesn't assume that their private email, internet and phone comms are routinely bugged is incredibly naive. They know that allies as well as potential enemies will routinely monitor any information they can access.

Very senior politicians like Merkel will be well aware of this sort of thing as they will be briefed by their security people, this shocked and surprised act has very little credibility.

The Germans and French are just pissed off because they're not signed up to UKUSA.

[TykeMerc]

Any senior politician, military or civil servant that doesn't assume that their private email, internet and phone comms are routinely bugged is incredibly naive. They know that allies as well as potential enemies will routinely monitor any information they can access.

Very senior politicians like Merkel will be well aware of this sort of thing as they will be briefed by their security people, this shocked and surprised act has very little credibility.

[sasguru]

The Germans really need to get over their obsession with metal-bashing and realise information is a more valuable commodity.
It's embarrassing for the Germans that they're still so behind, a lifetime after Enigma was broken, and we could read their every move, we still can.

[scooterscot]

Can you imagine her words if it had been Russia or Iran doing the spying?

Indeed. But you'd understand those countries spying, it would be with a sense of purpose from a military point of view. The depth of spying from the US, that's probably all commercial with backhands to US manufacturers and the like. It stinks.

[Paddy]

Can you imagine her words if it had been Russia or Iran doing the spying?

[scooterscot]

What strong & powerful language. This is now beyond embarrassing for the US. The the length of time involved to. It's like watching the last days of the Roman empire.

Mrs Merkel - an Americophile who was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 - is said to be shocked that Washington may have engaged in the sort of spying she had to endure growing up in Communist East Germany.

BBC News - US bugged Merkel's phone from 2002 until 2013, report claims