Posted on 10/24/2013 11:48:25 AM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
The National Security Agency monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another US government department, according to a classified document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The confidential memo reveals that the NSA encourages senior officials in its "customer" departments, such the White House, State and the Pentagon, to share their "Rolodexes" so the agency can add the phone numbers of leading foreign politicians to their surveillance systems.
The document notes that one unnamed US official handed over 200 numbers, including those of the 35 world leaders, none of whom is named. These were immediately "tasked" for monitoring by the NSA.
The revelation is set to add to mounting diplomatic tensions between the US and its allies, after the German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday accused the US of tapping her mobile phone.
After Merkel's allegations became public, White House press secretary Jay Carney issued a statement that said the US "is not monitoring and will not monitor" the German chancellor's communications. But that failed to quell the row, as officials in Berlin quickly pointed out that the US did not deny monitoring the phone in the past.
The NSA memo obtained by the Guardian suggests that such surveillance was not isolated, as the agency routinely monitors the phone numbers of world leaders – and even asks for the assistance of other US officials to do so.
The memo, dated October 2006 and which was issued to staff in the agency's Signals Intelligence Directorate (SID), was titled "Customers Can Help SID Obtain Targetable Phone Numbers".
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
If Bush does not have the wherewithal to TRY to protect himself and his colleagues then he should be blamed.
Tired of his “GO ALONG, TO GET ALONG” with the Democrats who hate America.
GEORGE, STAND UP FOR A CHANGE, YOU HAVE ALREADY SADDLED THE USA WITH THAT CURRENT POS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
Of course, Obama will blame it all on Bush. Obama would be sorely tempted to state that "none of this happened on my watch", but for the fear that Snowden's next drop will finger is administration. Thus his begging-the-question "is not and will not" statement.
Stop Watching Us: The Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmiw_rrNxk
now all of a sudden the left cares about our government spying on us.welcome to the party...20 years late.
Question: what level of “official” would have “secure” phone numbers for 35 world leaders in their “rolodex”?
Answer: Secretary of State and above.
So was it Chinny or the Great Pumpkin?
Sheesh. . .all governments spy on all other governments.
It is what they all do, friend or ally, we try and read each other’s mail.
This whole “how dare you spy on us” is not new news or a great revelation, it is kabuki theater for popular consumption and has no relevance to the real political world.
Please see Post 26.
This whole “spying” thing is not news to governments. . .
Yep.
As long as America is in play, we would have appeared in Prophecy.
We're not in Prophecy, therefore either Prophecy is false or we will have been rendered irrelevant by the End Times.
Sssshhh! No one tell them about the satellites! Or our CIA agents at their embassy!
Yes, we spy on foreign entities. The issue here is yet another example of Snowden not being a libertarian, but a traitor.
What’s the Over/Under line in Vegas on ‘World Leaders monitored by snoopin’ Obama’?
I would bet it’s pretty high and climbing. ;-}
Spying is almost as old a profession as prostitution,, any country that wants to stick around a while is probably wise to do so..
Even this agnostic suspects so.
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