German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung today revealed that the NSA surveillance of German leaders didn’t begin with current Chancellor Angela Merkel, and that Gerhard Schröder was targeted beginning in 2002 for his opposition to the Iraq War.
Schröder came out openly against the planned US invasion of Iraq, and officials at the time reportedly feared a split within NATO and ordered him placed under NATO SIGINT “special collection” targeting. Unnamed US officials defended the targeting, saying they “had resume to presume he was not contributing to the success of the alliance.”
The former chancellor said that at the time “I would never have entertained the idea that the US secret services would be listening in on me,” but that amid all of the NSA scandals now it “comes as no surprise.”
Green Party MP Hans-Christian Ströbele said he could confirm the report, and had seen essentially the same information from other sources, saying it was part of a US effort to predict any German actions that might prevent a UN resolution authorizing a war with Iraq.
Gerhard Schroder said Germany would not participate in the "adventure" in Iraq. He should have said they would not participate in the misadventure in Iraq. I hope he's against the war Obama started in Libya and the wars Obama barely avoided in Syria and Iran and Obama's drone strikes. It's a good thing Merkel is against that. Spying on allies started with "W" and is continuing with Obama.
Actually, spying on allies probably started with the Continental Congress.
There is a rumor saying that ciamafia killed many leaders who were against USA Vietnam war like Olof Palme of Sweden. Those social democrats whom were against USG created wars were true and honorable social democrats, today social democrats, well just look at France.
Thanks to GWB!
The US continues to spy on Germans for political and economic reasons entirely unrelated to security.
It continues to maintain that the US and Germany are partners.
Partnership requires that the US provide the German government equal access to American phones.
The US can begin by bugging President Obama's phones and sending transcripts to the German government.