One of the much-vaunted reforms of President Obama’s NSA speech was to end surveillance on foreign leaders. The announcement was touted as a major shift across the media, but like most things which involve today’s speech, it misses the huge caveats which reveal that the change won’t be a change at all.
The exact pledge was “I have made clear to the intelligence community that – unless there is a compelling national security purpose – we will not monitor the communications of heads of state and government of our close friends and allies.”
The caveat, and it’s an easy one to spot because it’s got dashes surround it, essentially negates the whole of the promise, as the rest of Obama’s speech centered around the idea that literally no real abuses are happening, and that all the surveillance going on was for compelling reasons.
A whole second caveat was thrown in at the end, saying it only applies to “close friends and allies,” which would allow future presidents to pick and choose which excuse they have for spying, whether a foreign leader is not a really “close” friend, or whether there was a “compelling” need, or both.
One of the landmarks of this Alice in Wonderland policy. Foreign leaders are exactly who you're supposed to spy on. But Obama may back off somewhat on that. As any serious intelligence professional knows, the one group you absolutely shuld not spy on is your own citizens. No intention to stop doing that, in fact, nw rules specifying exactly how to spy on Americans are one of the great "reforms" the current Unitary Executive proclaimed.
Why wouldn't an "intelligence professional" spy on his own fellow citizens? Most "intelligence professionals" throughout history have done just that.
The White House and OBAMA in particular are so two-faced that they don't even recognise themselves let alone 'right" from "wrong"
Black man speaks with forked tongue.
Black man speaks with forked tongue.
Black man speaks with forked tongue.