Posted on 10/28/2013 9:15:51 PM PDT by lbryce
President Obama is poised to order the National Security Agency to stop eavesdropping on the leaders of American allies, administration and Congressional officials said Monday, responding to a deepening diplomatic crisis over reports that the agency had for years targeted the cellphone of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany.
The White House informed a leading Democratic lawmaker, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, of its plans, which grew out of a broader internal review of intelligence-gathering methods, prompted by the leak of N.S.A. documents by a former contractor, Edward J. Snowden.
In a statement on Monday, Ms. Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, I do not believe the United States should be collecting phone calls or emails of friendly presidents and prime ministers. Ms. Feinstein, who has been a stalwart defender of the administrations surveillance policies, said her committee would begin a major review of all intelligence collection programs.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Yeah, like enhanced interrogation. Everything is appearance with Obama. He will say it is banned, outlawed but that doesn’t make it so.
maybe someone will release the blackberry journals
We still have allies?
Time, I think, to shut the NSA down completely. I am aware of its value as a clearing-house for intelligence. In a sane government it would be that, ethically run, or at least as close to it as feasible. In an ignorant, arrogant, power-hungry and abusive government, it is a fantastically dangerous object. Weigh the value against the abuse. In a sane time, the value obviously would be greater. In an abusive time, the price is too great to pay.
“Obama is surprised by the disclosure of NSA spying, which he learned about only recently.”
that “learned about only recently” phrase is a favorite of the administration.
This prezzy is the best argument ever that government is too big for anyone’s good. He never has the slightest idea what is going on anywhere within his adminstration.
The dick who didn’t a thing.
grumbling....
The dick who didn’t know a thing.
‘In a statement Monday, Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, “I do not believe the United States should be collecting phone calls or emails of friendly presidents and prime ministers.”...’
She only believes on collecting said information from innocent US citizens...
Do you honestly believe Obama didn't know what was going on?
wink wink, nudge nudge
Arthur Zimmermann sent a telegram to the German Embassy in Mexico City offering Mexico an allegience, as well as California, Arizona, Texas and New Mexico upon successful completion of the war.
Abusing diplomatic priviledge, he sent it (ciphered) through the US using telegraph cables laid and operated by the US, in violation of international war. The British intercepted it, decrypted it, and was able to coach the US on were it was, and what it meant, leading in part to the US declaration of war on Germany in 1917.
Intelligence: It helps us avoid wars, and win wars we can’t avoid, so of course the usual suspects demand that the US alone among all nations must end all intelligence operations.
All of a sudden the zero protection squad are very very nervous.
Defensive. And defensive is something I’ve never seen them be. Dismissive, 100%. Something’s going on.
Why would they believe he would end the spying on them NOW?
He lied before, what makes this time different?
The only statement from him I would accept at face value is “I’m a communist fraud”.
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