E.U. confronts U.S. about NSA spying on allies

[YoUDeeMan]

Obushma...spying on those white European devils!

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013 ... llies?lite" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"BRUSSELS/BERLIN — The European Union has demanded that the United States explain a report in a German magazine that Washington is spying on the group, using unusually strong language to confront its closest trading partner over its alleged surveillance activities.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said on Sunday the EU contacted U.S. authorities in Washington and Brussels about a report in Der Spiegel magazine that the U.S. secret service had tapped EU offices in Washington and Brussels and at the United Nations.

"We have immediately been in contact with the U.S. authorities in Washington D.C. and in Brussels and have confronted them with the press reports," the spokeswoman said.

"They have told us they are checking on the accuracy of the information released yesterday and will come back to us," she added in a statement."


Obama...losing everyone's respect.

[kalm]

Yeah those socialists are about to school us in liberty and limited government.

This is starting to move beyond the constitutionality of it and wandering closer to violations of treaties and criminality. But according to establishment media and the Diane Feinsteins and Peter Kings of the world, what really matters is where in the world is Snowden...and Greenwald.

[houndawg]

We haven't had any respect since last millenium, Cuck. Get used to it.

[CID1990]

I'd suspend judgment on this for the next few weeks.

Guardian put up an initial article on this, saying that the affected EU countries were actually involved in this in order to receive a take on the intel. Citizens in EU countries aren't going to be happy, so Id expect EU leaders (especially Merkel) to deny involvement and play dumb to try to divert the political backlash.

Germany, Italy, the UK, Aus and NZ have long been intel sharing partners under treaty and it would not surprise me one bit if they weren't complicit in this.


Sent from the center of the universe.

[kalm]

I'd suspend judgment on this for the next few weeks.

Guardian put up an initial article on this, saying that the affected EU countries were actually involved in this in order to receive a take on the intel. Citizens in EU countries aren't going to be happy, so Id expect EU leaders (especially Merkel) to deny involvement and play dumb to try to divert the political backlash.

Germany, Italy, the UK, Aus and NZ have long been intel sharing partners under treaty and it would not surprise me one bit if they weren't complicit in this.


Sent from the center of the universe.

And the Guardian article indicates they may be spying on us. Christ, they'd be crazy not to. But it's still wrong.

[CID1990]

I'd suspend judgment on this for the next few weeks.

Guardian put up an initial article on this, saying that the affected EU countries were actually involved in this in order to receive a take on the intel. Citizens in EU countries aren't going to be happy, so Id expect EU leaders (especially Merkel) to deny involvement and play dumb to try to divert the political backlash.

Germany, Italy, the UK, Aus and NZ have long been intel sharing partners under treaty and it would not surprise me one bit if they weren't complicit in this.


Sent from the center of the universe.

And the Guardian article indicates they may be spying on us. Christ, they'd be crazy not to. But it's still wrong.

That's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying that the EU is protesting this openly when there is evidence that our allies were actually co-actors with the NSA. The outrage by EU leaders might well be feigned. Give it a couple weeks and I think we'll know if they are just huffing and puffing to keep their own citizens distracted.

BTW- espionage is widely accepted as a part if statecraft. What the NSA is doing is unconstitutional. In fact, espionage is as much a part of foreign policy as is public diplomacy, but Smith-Mundt prohibits the use of public diplomacy strategies within the US. That the same restrictions should apply to espionage (which is at its core a surreptitious exposure of information that others want kept private). The CIA is prohibited from conducting intel operations on US soil. The very existence of the NSA is looking increasingly like a way if circumventing this.

Within the next couple years we might well see a version of Smith-Mundt directed at our intelligence services. Obviously the Constitution is not enough (mostly being facetious here).


Sent from the center of the universe.

[houndawg]

And the Guardian article indicates they may be spying on us. Christ, they'd be crazy not to. But it's still wrong.

That's not what I'm saying.

I'm saying that the EU is protesting this openly when there is evidence that our allies were actually co-actors with the NSA. The outrage by EU leaders might well be feigned.Give it a couple weeks and I think we'll know if they are just huffing and puffing to keep their own citizens distracted.

BTW- espionage is widely accepted as a part if statecraft. What the NSA is doing is unconstitutional. In fact, espionage is as much a part of foreign policy as is public diplomacy, but Smith-Mundt prohibits the use of public diplomacy strategies within the US. That the same restrictions should apply to espionage (which is at its core a surreptitious exposure of information that others want kept private). The CIA is prohibited from conducting intel operations on US soil. The very existence of the NSA is looking increasingly like a way if circumventing this.

Within the next couple years we might well see a version of Smith-Mundt directed at our intelligence services. Obviously the Constitution is not enough (mostly being facetious here).


Sent from the center of the universe.

Or maybe they don't know what their spooks are up to; maybe we don't either. As for the Constitution: if a capability exists, it will be used, paperwork notwithstanding.

[ASUG8]

Jeez, this administration has to be the most clumsy one in decades.

[houndawg]

Jeez, this administration has to be the most clumsy one in decades.

You'd have to go back to the Clinton Administration to find one that wasn't this clumsy.

[ASUMountaineer]

Yeah those socialists are about to school us in liberty and limited government.

This is starting to move beyond the constitutionality of it and wandering closer to violations of treaties and criminality. But according to establishment media and the Diane Feinsteins and Peter Kings of the world, what really matters is where in the world is Snowden...and Greenwald.

[CitadelGrad]

Jeez, this administration has to be the most clumsy one in decades.

You'd have to go back to the Clinton Administration to find one that wasn't this clumsy.

Yeah, because selling ballistic missile technology to the Chinese for campaign contributions isn't clumsy at all.

[GannonFan]

A lot of this just sounds like the EU is upset that we're better at spying on them than they are on us. Politicians just need to say the right things now and soon this will be past news and they can go back to spying on each other as nations have done for all of history. It's just a time for posturing right now.

[ASUG8]

A lot of this just sounds like the EU is upset that we're better at spying on them than they are on us. Politicians just need to say the right things now and soon this will be past news and they can go back to spying on each other as nations have done for all of history. It's just a time for posturing right now.

+1
There's nothing new going on here, but for some reason we're getting very sloppy on covering our tracks and sealing leaks for international and domestic surveillance these days.

[houndawg]

A lot of this just sounds like the EU is upset that we're better at spying on them than they are on us. Politicians just need to say the right things now and soon this will be past news and they can go back to spying on each other as nations have done for all of history. It's just a time for posturing right now.

+1

But we don't know that we're better at it, we haven't caught any of them yet.

[D1B]

Just a bunch of conks playing cops and robbers.

[YoUDeeMan]

A lot of this just sounds like the EU is upset that we're better at spying on them than they are on us. Politicians just need to say the right things now and soon this will be past news and they can go back to spying on each other as nations have done for all of history. It's just a time for posturing right now.

Obama is attempting to brush all of this "spying scandal" off as though it is nothing of note because everyone does it.

Let's all brush this off with a wink and a nod...just like those silly laws regulating sex to the missionary position. We all know we all do it, but let's keep the prudes happy by "frowning" upon such indecent behavior.

Funny thing about Obama though...he is the one who has used his office and the DOJ to repeatedly go after leakers that he doesn't like. He doesn't go after his own leaks - the ones that make him look good. No sense in prosecuting yourself.

Obushma is simply a Republican "do as I say, not as I do" elitist who complains about people's antics while doing his own thing.

CHANGE.

[ASUMountaineer]

Just a bunch of conks playing cops and robbers.

That's just sad. A Democratic administration and a heavily bureaucratic agency get egg on their face and it's conks doing it. Are you even trying anymore?

[Ibanez]

A lot of this just sounds like the EU is upset that we're better at spying on them than they are on us. Politicians just need to say the right things now and soon this will be past news and they can go back to spying on each other as nations have done for all of history. It's just a time for posturing right now.

Obama is attempting to brush all of this "spying scandal" off as though it is nothing of note because everyone does it.

Let's all brush this off with a wink and a nod...just like those silly laws regulating sex to the missionary position. We all know we all do it, but let's keep the prudes happy by "frowning" upon such indecent behavior.

Funny thing about Obama though...he is the one who has used his office and the DOJ to repeatedly go after leakers that he doesn't like. He doesn't go after his own leaks - the ones that make him look good. No sense in prosecuting yourself.

Obushma is simply a Republican "do as I say, not as I do" elitist who complains about people's antics while doing his own thing.

CHANGE.

The guy had the arrogance to think he could enter Washington and try to change it. He obviously didn't know what he got himself into. His arrogance is legendary and has ruined his legacy. Obamacare is increasingly becoming a boondoggle and now all these scandals are only tarnishing what good reputation he had left.

[YoUDeeMan]

The guy had the arrogance to think he could enter Washington and try to change it. He obviously didn't know what he got himself into. His arrogance is legendary and has ruined his legacy. Obamacare is increasingly becoming a boondoggle and now all these scandals are only tarnishing what good reputation he had left.

See, there's the problem. You think Obama wanted to change Washington.

He didn't.

Obama just wanted a piece of the pie for himself. His arrogance makes Bush look humble.

Obama convinced a whole bunch of people to vote for him as an agent for Change. That has to be one of the best con jobs in a long time, and it just reaffirms the "sucker" quote attributed to P.T. Barnum.

[Ibanez]

The guy had the arrogance to think he could enter Washington and try to change it. He obviously didn't know what he got himself into. His arrogance is legendary and has ruined his legacy. Obamacare is increasingly becoming a boondoggle and now all these scandals are only tarnishing what good reputation he had left.

See, there's the problem. You think Obama wanted to change Washington.

He didn't.

Obama just wanted a piece of the pie for himself. His arrogance makes Bush look humble.

Obama convinced a whole bunch of people to vote for him as an agent for Change. That has to be one of the best con jobs in a long time, and it just reaffirms the "sucker" quote attributed to P.T. Barnum.

Only an idiot truly believed that he would and could change Washington.

[D1B]

Just a bunch of conks playing cops and robbers.

That's just sad. A Democratic administration and a heavily bureaucratic agency get egg on their face and it's conks doing it. Are you even trying anymore?

Yeah, so a donk becomes president and all of a sudden everyone in government is a donk. You really are a fuck wad.

Spies are conks. Anyone who will lie, cheat, steal, murder, start wars and such for the flag is a fucking conk, plain and simple.

[D1B]

The guy had the arrogance to think he could enter Washington and try to change it. He obviously didn't know what he got himself into. His arrogance is legendary and has ruined his legacy. Obamacare is increasingly becoming a boondoggle and now all these scandals are only tarnishing what good reputation he had left.

See, there's the problem. You think Obama wanted to change Washington.

He didn't.

Obama just wanted a piece of the pie for himself. His arrogance makes Bush look humble.

Obama convinced a whole bunch of people to vote for him as an agent for Change. That has to be one of the best con jobs in a long time, and it just reaffirms the "sucker" quote attributed to P.T. Barnum.

Eh, you shit nugget. He's done alot of good too, you know like saving the world's economy for one.

There are easier ways to get a piece of the pie for an Ivy League-educated black man than becoming president and having to deflect daily shit storms from racist fuckheads like you.

[AZGrizFan]

See, there's the problem. You think Obama wanted to change Washington.

He didn't.

Obama just wanted a piece of the pie for himself. His arrogance makes Bush look humble.

Obama convinced a whole bunch of people to vote for him as an agent for Change. That has to be one of the best con jobs in a long time, and it just reaffirms the "sucker" quote attributed to P.T. Barnum.

Eh, you shit nugget. He's done alot of good too, you know like saving the world's economy for one.

There are easier ways to get a piece of the pie for an Ivy League-educated black man than becoming president and having to deflect daily shit storms from racist fuckheads like you.

We should probably ask "the world" if they feel their economy has been "saved".

[Grizalltheway]

Eh, you shit nugget. He's done alot of good too, you know like saving the world's economy for one.

There are easier ways to get a piece of the pie for an Ivy League-educated black man than becoming president and having to deflect daily shit storms from racist fuckheads like you.

We should probably ask "the world" if they feel their economy has been "saved".

Outside of Europe, most of the developed world is doing alright.

[UNI88]

The guy had the arrogance to think he could enter Washington and try to change it. He obviously didn't know what he got himself into. His arrogance is legendary and has ruined his legacy. Obamacare is increasingly becoming a boondoggle and now all these scandals are only tarnishing what good reputation he had left.

See, there's the problem. You think Obama wanted to change Washington.

He didn't.

Obama just wanted a piece of the pie for himself and his friends. His arrogance makes Bush look humble.

Obama convinced a whole bunch of people to vote for him as an agent for Change. That has to be one of the best con jobs in a long time, and it just reaffirms the "sucker" quote attributed to P.T. Barnum.

FIFY - Obama is from Chicago.