Newsletter 2013/07/02 – Allied Services (I)
BERLIN/WASHINGTON (Own report) – The German Chancellor has announced
initial measures in the scandal surrounding the comprehensive internet
and telephone surveillance by the US American and British intelligence
services. In view of the most recent reports of US espionage,
including in EU facilities, Angela Merkel declared through her
spokesperson, “that is unacceptable.” After all, “the cold war is
over.” Other ostentatious signs of protest had been initiated
yesterday. What still remains a mystery is to what extent German
authorities have been involved themselves in this telephone and
internet surveillance. For years, it has been known that cooperation
between western intelligence agencies had been greatly intensified as
the result of an October 4, 2001 NATO decision. The German government
still remains silent on the channels and extent of the transfer of
secret data, as well as on the legwork Germany is suspected to have
provided for US authorities. Recent reports point to old intelligence
agency cooperation accords concluded in the cold war period. These
were secret agreements, which remain in force to this day.