Merkel calls Obama about 'US spying on her phone'

BERLIN: -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called US President Barack Obama after receiving information that the US may have spied on her mobile phone.

A spokesman for Mrs Merkel said the German leader "views such practices... as completely unacceptable".

Mrs Merkel called on US officials to clarify the extent of their surveillance in Germany.

The White House said President Obama had told Chancellor Merkel the US was not snooping on her communications.

"The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the chancellor," White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Wednesday.

The US has been on the receiving end of anger from allies over spying allegations based on material said to originate from fugitive American leaker Edward Snowden.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24647268


-- BBC 2013-10-24

Perhaps they were listening in to get a few tips on how to run a country

You're spying on us. No we're not. OK, fine. Next!

"Not monitoring the Chancellor" just all her aides!

Sent from my phone with the app thingy.

And her call was taped!!!

The White House said President Obama had told Chancellor Merkel the US was not snooping on her communications.

Just as if he would know.

So he want to say the Germans are hearing little voices in their head or what ?

Snowden is a HERO.

Edited October 24, 201312 yr by PeterSmiles

This administration is sounding increasingly paranoid. Now tapping Merkels phone, coming after tapping millions of French phones. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24628947

Edited October 24, 201312 yr by uptheos

Mrs Merkel made news in technology area a year ago - ordering couple of thousands BlackBerry mobiles for her administration.

She admires BlackBerry for their security features - encrypted massage system for example....

I wonder.....NSA already gone through it?

They don't monitor anyone at all. Except the ones they do, which is everyone. I love doublespeak.

And it's true because Snowden says it's true? Does he even have a computer these days?

It's interesting that those in government don't like their phones being monitored.

They don't seem to have a problem with monitoring ours.

Merkel better delete her hot pics.

If I was Merkel...

I'd wait until me & Obama had a meeting in front of

all the worlds press then bitch slap the SOB numerous

times. What's Obama gonna do? Nothing that's what.

Edited to add a missing "t".

I have always been pro USA but now i just see them as the least evil... thought that might be debatable.

Mrs Merkel called on US officials to clarify the extent of their surveillance in Germany.

The extent would be 100%.

Surprised she even has to ask.

DNI's response, to the French dust up...

DNI Statement on Inaccurate and Misleading Information in Recent Le Monde Article Security

Wednesday, October 23, 2013 PDF

October 22, 2013

Recent articles published in the French newspaper Le Monde contain inaccurate and misleading information regarding U.S. foreign intelligence activities. The allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million “recordings of French citizens’ telephone data” is false.

While we are not going to discuss the details of our activities, we have repeatedly made it clear that the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations. The U.S. collects intelligence to protect the nation, its interests, and its allies from, among other things, threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The United States values our longstanding friendship and alliance with France and we will continue to cooperate on security and intelligence matters going forward.

James R. Clapper

Director of National Intelligence

Anger Growing Among Allies on U.S. Spying

BERLIN — The diplomatic fallout from the documents harvested by the former N.S.A. contractor Edward J. Snowden intensified on Wednesday, with one of the United States’ closest allies, Germany, announcing that its leader had angrily called President Obama seeking reassurance that her cellphone was not the target of an American intelligence tap.

Washington hastily pledged that the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, leader of Europe’s most powerful economy, was not the target of current surveillance and would not be in the future, while conspicuously saying nothing about the past. After a similar furor with France, the call was the second time in 48 hours that the president found himself on the phone with a close European ally to argue that the unceasing revelations of invasive American intelligence gathering should not undermine decades of hard-won trans-Atlantic trust.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/world/europe/united-states-disputes-reports-of-wiretapping-in-Europe.html

"Current surveillance" means "we stopped yesterday". But will start back up tomorrow.

"The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the chancellor,"

Note the Diplomatic-speak

He didn't say "have not" "did not"

and he doesn't get told much anyway - "Plausible Deniability" is the favourite phrase of the US administration (and its lackeys the UK are just as bad)

Always thought Merkel looked like a potential terrorist. 555

More serious, when the US got caught out spying on companies, politicians and every one else, they should just have acknowledged it and moved on. By lying about it they are making it worse. Maybe the Thai politicians learned from the US politicians how to tell white lies.

he had his story ready, he KNEW she was gonna call

Is anyone really naive enough to think you are safe from spying? To be even remotely safe from spying, you would have to be a hermit with absolutely no communication of any kind with any entity. Even then, all they have to do is find out where you live.

As Chancellor Merkel's call to Obama was ringing through she heard..."For quality control purposes, your call may will be monitored."

"Press one to cancel the drone strike currently targeted for your location."

"But Angela, we only do that in order to improve advertisements presented to you."

"Angela, I love the wallpaper on your phone. Is that Vlad on horseback?"

Edited October 24, 201312 yr by lomatopo

"The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the chancellor," White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Wednesday.

Perhaps not the United States..but maybe the CIA, or FBi.... They might figure a way out to set up a social system in their country with Angela's help. -

Why do I get the feeling that he said, "Oh, George Bush did that".....

Merkel better delete her hot pics.

Apparently she has a lot of admirers...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=676412559036800

Finally Mrs "Austerity" Merkel sees she isn't in control of everything and that probably bothers her tremendously. Sorry guys, but I feel the US government and its security bodies don't really trust anyone these days, even when they speak high level German or French... and who can blame them.

I have always been pro USA but now i just see them as the least evil... thought that might be debatable.

...I think what you meant to say was "the least obvious..."

US ambassador summoned in mobile row

Berlin summons the US ambassador over claims that the US monitored German Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone

/BBC

U.S.-EU Trade Talks on Track Despite Spy Fears

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324399404578585911375933112

And now ?

How can one sign a deal with or trust a Spy..

I would not !

Edited October 24, 201312 yr by churchill

https://twitter.com/MerkelsCell/status/393302242066845696/photo/1

Merkel's Cell Phone ‏@MerkelsCell2m

Strange but Siri on my phone sounds very similar to Obama's voice. pic.twitter.com/dZjlq6fUHq

and

Elizabeth Windsor ‏@Queen_UK51m

President Obama just called. Answered in German as a joke and he hung up.

Edited October 24, 201312 yr by churchill

Agence France-Presse ‏@AFP29m

#BREAKING: Merkel, Hollande to discuss US spying revelations: diplomatic source