Germany Expels Top US Intelligence Official, Says It Will (Officially) Spy Back On US And UK
from the no-more-no-spy dept
Techdirt has been following the complicated German reaction to Edward Snowden's revelations about US and UK surveillance of people in that country, whether or not in high places, for some while now. Although the German public has been deeply shocked by the leaks, the German government has been keen to preserve good relations with the US. But the revelation that there was not just one but probably two double agents working for the US within the German secret services has taken the country's unhappiness with its ally up a notch, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has finally reacted with a classic diplomatic punishment, reported here by the Guardian:
The German government has asked the top representative of America's secret services in Germany to leave the country. Members of the government's supervisory panel announced the measure at a press conference in Berlin this afternoon.
This comes just after the Independent newspaper carried the following story about another significant German response to US (and UK) spying:
Clemens Binninger, a member of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, who chairs the committee that oversees the intelligence services, explained that the move came in response to America's "failure to cooperate on resolving various allegations, starting with the NSA and up to the latest incidents".Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is planning to scrap a no-spy agreement Germany has held with Britain and the United States since 1945 in response to an embarrassing US-German intelligence service scandal which has deeply soured relations between Berlin and Washington.
It may well be that some "unofficial" German spying on the US had been going on until now, but the fact that Angela Merkel's interior minister has made an official statement of his country's intent to spy on the US, UK and France is a clear signal of her displeasure with the surveillance activities of those "so-called" allies. Given Germany's rapidly-escalating response here, an interesting question is: What will it do if/when the next big spying scandal breaks?
The unprecedented change to Berlin's counter-espionage policy was announced by Ms Merkel’s Interior Minister, Thomas de Maizière. He said that Berlin wanted "360-degree surveillance" of all intelligence-gathering operations in Germany.
...
Mr de Maizière told Bild that he was now not ruling out permanent German counter-espionage surveillance of US, British and French intelligence operations. His remarks were echoed by Stephan Mayer, a domestic security spokesman for Ms Merkel’s ruling Christian Democrats. “We must focus more strongly on our so-called allies,” he said.
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Filed Under: cia, france, germany, no spy agreement, spying, surveillance, uk, us
Reader Comments
The First Word
“wat?
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is planning to scrap a no-spy agreement...That agreement was already scrapped, and not by Merkel.
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Can't wait for the response
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wat?
That agreement was already scrapped, and not by Merkel.
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Wrong headline
They should have asked to have the occupation statutes lifted when reuniting with East Germany. As it stands, they are still occupied by the allied forces.
Of course, it's ironic that throwing out the U.S., U.K., and French military and associated personell from the country would these days constitute a solid step away from fascism.
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Re: Wrong headline
However, I imagine he'd leave anyway, once a double-agent's been exposed, they become pretty useless at their job, so keeping him there would be little more than petty aggravation towards the german government, which isn't very smart diplomatically speaking.
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Whom they ask to leave is the CIA top representative in Germany.
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That means if he takes one step outside the embassy gates, he can be seized and escorted to the nearest airport (but yeah, he can sit in the embassy as long as he wants)
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Re: Wrong headline
You're also wrong on the occupational status, Germany has regained full sovereignty. The occupation status ended in '55, and any special rights retained dissipated in '91 after the reunification. (Zwei+Vier Vertrag)
But it is nice to see that the German Government is finally forced to react on the violations of German law within it's own boarders. Personally I would go much further and threaten to cut (all) diplomatic ties (Especially the use of the Ramstein airforce base could hurt the US quite a bit, although I don't no the basis of the treaty so I have no idea how fast it could be implemented) until the US signs a NoSpy treaty.
I'm all for good relations with the US for various reasons (I myself, for example, am studying there) but for that there has to be equal treatment, not just empty words.
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Those treaties have never been cancelled. So yes, it's not "occupational status" but rather "son of occupational status", and the USSR is no longer in the game.
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I can't see Merkel being too strict with Obama. She seems to view him as vital to her countries success. I haven't quite figured out why she feels that way. Perhaps she values US military protection?
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Obviously they will tolerate a few minor fuckups, noone wants to spend money when they dont have to and they will just put on a happy face
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Therefore the EU itself is starting to look towards defending itself without US intervention, which could eventually lead to the ending of US bases across the EU as leases expire.
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This NSA spying business got totally out of hand. I believe we will have a lot more mileage on this before it gets better and more limited in scope.
What will also be of interest is how US companies will suffer in Germany as a result. This is going to make a whole bunch of folks more unhappy with the US's spying addiction.
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When the financial and travel data stops arriving in the US, I would imagine the US will pay more attention.
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That's sort of a given when you have a constitutional republic.
The U.S. purports to have one as well, but that's sort of similar to somebody calling himself a vegetarian since he only eats meat from animals for which death is a release from suffering.
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Level of protection provided by the constitution and/or legislation means nothing when everyone in power (courts, legislature, executive, even the press in many instances) conspire to keep any breaches (or potential breaches) from ever reaching the light of day.
Press keep it secret.
Executive keep it secret.
Legislature keep it secret.
Courts keep it secret.
What can't be kept secret is either covered up by the press, legislated around by the legislature, pardoned by the executive, dismissed by the courts.
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Tame
I'd have thrown out quite a lot more US operations when Snowdens revelations first came to light. And immediately terminated any treaties that allow data to flow to the US (like the airplane passenger data treaty). So this is late and tame.
And I'd have started criminal proceedings against my own secret service (the BND) in the first place: suspicion of conspiring to spy on german citizens for a foreign power.
(Please note the fine distinction of espionage against "citizens" from espionage against "governments". Secret services are supposed to spy on foreign governments. But they're not supposed to spy on ordinary citizens. Even less their OWN citizens).
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Re: Tame
Ah! Now I understand why the NSA was reigned in and Clapper and his cohorts have been jailed.
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Finally, some real transparency...
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If they're serious....
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That's a good question. Because it's a matter of when it will break, not if. The US (and its lapdog, the UK) seemingly couldn't care less. Whould they go as far as to withdraw from the alliance? The situation could deteriorate quite fast. When you start making your friends angry it's time to review your actions...
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Germany
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