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The International Community are furious with the American regime for spying on them.
GERMANY
Angela Merkel demands action from US to rebuild trust
Furious Angela Merkel accuses US of betraying trust of German soldiers that fought and died alongside American allies on the battlefields of Afghanistan by bugging her phone
At least 35 world leaders had their phones monitored by US spies, it has been claimed, an escalating diplomatic row between Europe and America
By Reuters4:05AM BST 25 Oct 2013Comments103 Comments
German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded on Thursday that the United States strike a 'no-spying' agreement with Berlin and Paris by the end of the year, saying alleged espionage against two of Washington's closest EU allies had to be stopped.
Speaking after talks with EU leaders that were dominated by allegations that the US National Security Agency had accessed tens of thousands of French phone records and monitored Mrs Merkel's private mobile phone, the chancellor said she wanted action from President Barack Obama, not just apologetic words.
Germany and France would seek a "mutual understanding" with the United States on cooperation between their intelligence agencies, and other EU member states could eventually take part.
"That means a framework for cooperation between the relevant (intelligence) services. Germany and France have taken the initiative and other member states will join," she said.
In a statement issued after the first day of the summit, the EU's 28 leaders said they supported the Franco-German plan.
35 world leaders 'had their phones monitored by US spies' 24 Oct 2013
Britain forced to sign EU statement expressing 'deep concern' 25 Oct 2013
Mrs Merkel first raised the possibility of a 'no-spying' agreement with Mr Obama during a visit to Berlin in June this year, but nothing came of it. The latest revelations, part of the vast leaks made by former US data analyst Edward Snowden, would appear to have renewed her determination for a pact.
The United States already has a similar deal with Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, an alliance known as 'Five Eyes' that was struck in the aftermath of World War Two.
But there has traditionally been a reluctance to make similar arrangements with other allies, despite the close relations that the United States and Germany now enjoy.
Mrs Merkel said an accord with Washington was long overdue, given the shared experiences the countries face.
"We are in Afghanistan together. Our soldiers experience life threatening situations. They sometimes die in the same battles," she said.
"The friendship and partnership between the European member states, including Germany, and the United States is not a one-way street. We depend on it. But there are good reasons that the United States also needs friends in the world."
As EU leaders arrived for the two-day summit there was near-universal condemnation of the alleged activities by the NSA, particularly the monitoring of Mrs Merkel's mobile phone.
Some senior German officials, and the German president of the European Parliament, have called for talks between the EU and United States on a free-trade agreement, which began in July, to be suspended because of the spying allegations.
Mrs Merkel, whose country is one of the world's leading exporters and stands to gain from any trade deal with Washington, said that was not the right path to take, saying the best way forward was to rebuild trust.
The series of Snowden-based leaks over the past three months have left Washington at odds with a host of important allies, from Brazil to Saudi Arabia, and there are few signs that the revelations are going to dry up anytime soon.
The Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday that one NSA contact, a US official, had provided the telephone numbers of 35 world leaders that had then been monitored.
The White House refused to address the disclosures, saying: "We are not going to comment publicly on every specific alleged intelligence activity, and as a matter of policy we have made clear that the United States gathers foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations."
The rift between Washington and Berlin presents a dilemma for David Cameron, who could be forced to choose between his greatest ally, the US, and a German chancellor who is his key partner in attempts to reform the EU.
In marked contrast to other European leaders, Mr Cameron's official spokesman tried to play down the row ahead of the meeting, insisting that the matter was only a "bilateral issue" which would not derail the vital trade talks between the EU and the US.
"There may be bilateral issues that individual countries raise between themselves but in terms of the EU-US free trade agreement this is a multinational thing and I certainly would not see a connection between those two," he said.
Nina Schick, of the Open Europe think-tank, said: "This puts Cameron in a difficult position. The EU-US trade negotiations, in which the UK is investing lots of political capital, could end up as collateral damage in this spat."
The Prime Minister left the meeting last night without making any comment.
As well as raising questions about the EU-US trade negotiations, the spying furore could also have an impact on data-privacy legislation working its way through the EU.
The European Parliament this week backed legislation, proposed by the European Commission in early 2012, that would greatly toughen EU data protection rules dating from 1995.
The new rules would restrict how data collected in Europe by firms such as Google and Facebook is shared with non-EU countries, introduce the right of EU citizens to request that their digital traces be erased, and impose fines of 100 million euros (£90 million) or more on rule breakers.
The United States is concerned the regulations, if they enter into law, will raise the cost of handling data in Europe. Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and others have lobbied hard against the proposals.
Given the spying accusations, France and Germany – the two most influential countries in EU policy – may succeed in getting member states to push ahead on negotiations with the parliament to complete the new data regulations by 2015.
For the United States, it could substantially change how data privacy rules are implemented globally.
Angela Merkel demands action from US to rebuild trust - Telegraph
Angela Merkel, she and others in the International Community are furious with the American regime over spying.
SPAIN
Spain summons US ambassador over claim NSA tracked 60m calls a month
El Mundo newspaper reports having seen NSA document that reveals extent of agency's monitoring of Spanish phone calls
Paul Hamilos in Madrid
theguardian.com, Monday 28 October 2013 10.11 GMT
The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has summoned the US ambassador to explain the latest revelations to emerge from the files leaked by Edward Snowden, which suggest the National Security Agency tracked more than 60m phone calls in Spain in the space of a month.
Spain's European secretary of state, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, is meeting James Costos as the White House struggles to contain a growing diplomatic crisis following accusations that the NSA monitored the phones of scores of allies, including the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
El Mundo newspaper reported on Monday that it had seen an NSA document that showed the US spy agency had intercepted 60.5m phone calls in Spain between 10 December 2012 and 8 January this year.
An NSA graphic, entitled "Spain – last 30 days", reportedly shows the daily flow of phone calls within Spain, and that on one day alone – 11 December 2012 – the NSA monitored more than 3.5m phone calls. It appears that the content of the calls was not monitored but the serial and phone numbers of the handsets used, the locations, sim cards and the duration of the calls were. Emails and other social media were also monitored.
The news comes as a parliamentary delegation from the EU prepares to visit Washington to discuss the scale of US spying on its allies. The EU's civil liberties committee will meet members of Congress to express their concerns over the impact on EU citizens' fundamental right to privacy.
Last week Spain rejected a move by Germany, which wants the EU's 28 member states to sign a "no-spy deal" along the lines of an agreement wanted by Berlin and Paris.
"We'll see once we have more information if we decide to join with what France and Germany have done," Rajoy said at a press conference in Brussels on Friday.
"But these aren't decisions which correspond to the European Union. They are questions related to national security and are the exclusive responsibility of member states. France and Germany have decided to do one thing and the rest of us may decide to do the same, or something else."
The White House and NSA are coming under intense pressure to reveal the extent to which Obama and senior administration officials knew about US surveillance operations targeting the leaders of allied countries.
Spain summons US ambassador over claim NSA tracked 60m calls a month | World news | theguardian.com
GERMANY
Angela Merkel demands action from US to rebuild trust
Furious Angela Merkel accuses US of betraying trust of German soldiers that fought and died alongside American allies on the battlefields of Afghanistan by bugging her phone
At least 35 world leaders had their phones monitored by US spies, it has been claimed, an escalating diplomatic row between Europe and America
By Reuters4:05AM BST 25 Oct 2013Comments103 Comments
German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded on Thursday that the United States strike a 'no-spying' agreement with Berlin and Paris by the end of the year, saying alleged espionage against two of Washington's closest EU allies had to be stopped.
Speaking after talks with EU leaders that were dominated by allegations that the US National Security Agency had accessed tens of thousands of French phone records and monitored Mrs Merkel's private mobile phone, the chancellor said she wanted action from President Barack Obama, not just apologetic words.
Germany and France would seek a "mutual understanding" with the United States on cooperation between their intelligence agencies, and other EU member states could eventually take part.
"That means a framework for cooperation between the relevant (intelligence) services. Germany and France have taken the initiative and other member states will join," she said.
In a statement issued after the first day of the summit, the EU's 28 leaders said they supported the Franco-German plan.
35 world leaders 'had their phones monitored by US spies' 24 Oct 2013
Britain forced to sign EU statement expressing 'deep concern' 25 Oct 2013
Mrs Merkel first raised the possibility of a 'no-spying' agreement with Mr Obama during a visit to Berlin in June this year, but nothing came of it. The latest revelations, part of the vast leaks made by former US data analyst Edward Snowden, would appear to have renewed her determination for a pact.
The United States already has a similar deal with Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, an alliance known as 'Five Eyes' that was struck in the aftermath of World War Two.
But there has traditionally been a reluctance to make similar arrangements with other allies, despite the close relations that the United States and Germany now enjoy.
Mrs Merkel said an accord with Washington was long overdue, given the shared experiences the countries face.
"We are in Afghanistan together. Our soldiers experience life threatening situations. They sometimes die in the same battles," she said.
"The friendship and partnership between the European member states, including Germany, and the United States is not a one-way street. We depend on it. But there are good reasons that the United States also needs friends in the world."
As EU leaders arrived for the two-day summit there was near-universal condemnation of the alleged activities by the NSA, particularly the monitoring of Mrs Merkel's mobile phone.
Some senior German officials, and the German president of the European Parliament, have called for talks between the EU and United States on a free-trade agreement, which began in July, to be suspended because of the spying allegations.
Mrs Merkel, whose country is one of the world's leading exporters and stands to gain from any trade deal with Washington, said that was not the right path to take, saying the best way forward was to rebuild trust.
The series of Snowden-based leaks over the past three months have left Washington at odds with a host of important allies, from Brazil to Saudi Arabia, and there are few signs that the revelations are going to dry up anytime soon.
The Guardian newspaper reported on Thursday that one NSA contact, a US official, had provided the telephone numbers of 35 world leaders that had then been monitored.
The White House refused to address the disclosures, saying: "We are not going to comment publicly on every specific alleged intelligence activity, and as a matter of policy we have made clear that the United States gathers foreign intelligence of the type gathered by all nations."
The rift between Washington and Berlin presents a dilemma for David Cameron, who could be forced to choose between his greatest ally, the US, and a German chancellor who is his key partner in attempts to reform the EU.
In marked contrast to other European leaders, Mr Cameron's official spokesman tried to play down the row ahead of the meeting, insisting that the matter was only a "bilateral issue" which would not derail the vital trade talks between the EU and the US.
"There may be bilateral issues that individual countries raise between themselves but in terms of the EU-US free trade agreement this is a multinational thing and I certainly would not see a connection between those two," he said.
Nina Schick, of the Open Europe think-tank, said: "This puts Cameron in a difficult position. The EU-US trade negotiations, in which the UK is investing lots of political capital, could end up as collateral damage in this spat."
The Prime Minister left the meeting last night without making any comment.
As well as raising questions about the EU-US trade negotiations, the spying furore could also have an impact on data-privacy legislation working its way through the EU.
The European Parliament this week backed legislation, proposed by the European Commission in early 2012, that would greatly toughen EU data protection rules dating from 1995.
The new rules would restrict how data collected in Europe by firms such as Google and Facebook is shared with non-EU countries, introduce the right of EU citizens to request that their digital traces be erased, and impose fines of 100 million euros (£90 million) or more on rule breakers.
The United States is concerned the regulations, if they enter into law, will raise the cost of handling data in Europe. Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and others have lobbied hard against the proposals.
Given the spying accusations, France and Germany – the two most influential countries in EU policy – may succeed in getting member states to push ahead on negotiations with the parliament to complete the new data regulations by 2015.
For the United States, it could substantially change how data privacy rules are implemented globally.
Angela Merkel demands action from US to rebuild trust - Telegraph
Angela Merkel, she and others in the International Community are furious with the American regime over spying.
SPAIN
Spain summons US ambassador over claim NSA tracked 60m calls a month
El Mundo newspaper reports having seen NSA document that reveals extent of agency's monitoring of Spanish phone calls
Paul Hamilos in Madrid
theguardian.com, Monday 28 October 2013 10.11 GMT
The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has summoned the US ambassador to explain the latest revelations to emerge from the files leaked by Edward Snowden, which suggest the National Security Agency tracked more than 60m phone calls in Spain in the space of a month.
Spain's European secretary of state, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, is meeting James Costos as the White House struggles to contain a growing diplomatic crisis following accusations that the NSA monitored the phones of scores of allies, including the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
El Mundo newspaper reported on Monday that it had seen an NSA document that showed the US spy agency had intercepted 60.5m phone calls in Spain between 10 December 2012 and 8 January this year.
An NSA graphic, entitled "Spain – last 30 days", reportedly shows the daily flow of phone calls within Spain, and that on one day alone – 11 December 2012 – the NSA monitored more than 3.5m phone calls. It appears that the content of the calls was not monitored but the serial and phone numbers of the handsets used, the locations, sim cards and the duration of the calls were. Emails and other social media were also monitored.
The news comes as a parliamentary delegation from the EU prepares to visit Washington to discuss the scale of US spying on its allies. The EU's civil liberties committee will meet members of Congress to express their concerns over the impact on EU citizens' fundamental right to privacy.
Last week Spain rejected a move by Germany, which wants the EU's 28 member states to sign a "no-spy deal" along the lines of an agreement wanted by Berlin and Paris.
"We'll see once we have more information if we decide to join with what France and Germany have done," Rajoy said at a press conference in Brussels on Friday.
"But these aren't decisions which correspond to the European Union. They are questions related to national security and are the exclusive responsibility of member states. France and Germany have decided to do one thing and the rest of us may decide to do the same, or something else."
The White House and NSA are coming under intense pressure to reveal the extent to which Obama and senior administration officials knew about US surveillance operations targeting the leaders of allied countries.
Spain summons US ambassador over claim NSA tracked 60m calls a month | World news | theguardian.com
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