So, the Germans finally lost their patience.
First the Snowden files exposed massive US surveillance of the German public. Then came information about the NSA having bugged chancellor Merkels phone. And the last few days we have found out about two US spies inside German intelligence. And possible surveillance of German politicians involved in Bundestags special NSA committee.
Apparently the US government is willing to give German politicians as much bullshit as they can take. But finally, the Germans have made it clear that enough is enough. The head of the CIA Berlin station is asked to leave the country.
Now, this does not only complicate things in US–German relations. It creates a European surveillance divide, as some national intelligence agencies in the EU–such as British GCHQ and Swedish FRA–are very close to the NSA. These countries stand with the US in this matter, not with Germany.
One can only picture what the implications will be at places such as EU:s INTCEN and NATO:s SITCEN. And imagine the delight in Moscow…
Overambitious surveillance carried out by a pretentious NSA and the inept handling of this matter by the White House has led to a crisis for western intelligence community as such.
And, as a matter of fact, this community do have a role to play–to protect us from external enemies.
By insisting to harvest information about ordinary, innocent, honest citizens telecoms and internet activities–the NSA is about to destroy the things about intelligence and spycraft that actually might be useful and important.
This ought to worry even those who are hawks in international security matters: NSA is killing trust, creating a divide between western allies. By arrogance and overreaching, the NSA is actually weakening western democracies.
The incompetence.
/HAX
