Germany expels US spy row official

[webfact]

Germany expels CIA official in US spy row

BERLIN: -- The German government has ordered the expulsion of a CIA official in Berlin in response to two cases of alleged spying by the US.

The official is said to have acted as a CIA contact at the US embassy, reports say, in a scandal that has infuriated German politicians.

A German intelligence official was arrested last week on suspicion of spying.

An inquiry has also begun into a German defence ministry worker, reports said.

"The representative of the US intelligence services at the embassy of the United States of America has been told to leave Germany," government spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28243933


-- BBC 2014-07-11

[Ulysses G.]

They spy on us. We spy on them. This is all for show.

[spidermike007]

This is a serious revelation. Why spy on Germany? They are a close ally of the US. So, the only explanation that is plausible is industrial espionage. And getting caught in that act is horrendous. The US is not only careless, they are cavalier, overreaching, and sloppy. Obama is a wannabe fascist, conservative, disguised as a liberal or at the very least a centrist democrat. But, that is not who he really is. He makes that apparent time and again. After I voted for him (the first time only), he quickly showed me he was not even close to being the man I thought he was. Since then his thirst for power has become insatiable. And he has resisted the centrist democratic party position nearly occasion that presented itself, when it comes to national security. He has taken the organization that Bush started, and expanded it dramatically. With the national data center in Utah, he has built the largest spy gathering center in the history of the world. He supports extraordinary rendition. He will not close Guantanamo. He operates many other black sites throughout the world. He is a dangerous man, and his disguise as a democrat makes him more so.

[lostsoul49]

If they have evidence of espionage, how about putting him in prison?

Surely that would be a much bigger embarrassment to the US.

I mean.... Surely the US would hand down a huge prison sentence to a German for the same offence.

Edited July 11, 2014 by lostsoul49

[orosee]

If they have evidence of espionage, how about putting him in prison?

Surely that would be a much bigger embarrassment to the US.

I mean.... Surely the US would hand down a huge prison sentence to a German for the same offence.

In German news, the "official" is actually the head of CIA in Germany - I guess equivalent to the ambassador of a country. The person going to jail is someone else entirely, a German national working for the German secret service BND.

[kamahele]

This is a serious revelation. Why spy on Germany? They are a close ally of the US. So, the only explanation that is plausible is industrial espionage. And getting caught in that act is horrendous. The US is not only careless, they are cavalier, overreaching, and sloppy. Obama is a wannabe fascist, conservative, disguised as a liberal or at the very least a centrist democrat. But, that is not who he really is. He makes that apparent time and again. After I voted for him (the first time only), he quickly showed me he was not even close to being the man I thought he was. Since then his thirst for power has become insatiable. And he has resisted the centrist democratic party position nearly occasion that presented itself, when it comes to national security. He has taken the organization that Bush started, and expanded it dramatically. With the national data center in Utah, he has built the largest spy gathering center in the history of the world. He supports extraordinary rendition. He will not close Guantanamo. He operates many other black sites throughout the world. He is a dangerous man, and his disguise as a democrat makes him more so.

Spying is just the nature of the beast. Allies spy on each other. Always have, always will. You don't think that Germany doesn't spy on the US and their other allies such as the UK? If you don't, you are naive. After China, the USA's largest problem with spying? Israel. Our ally and also a receiver of billions of dollars of US aid every year.

[Scott]

A person connected to the embassy may (or may not ) have diplomatic immunity, but the usual protocol is to expel them from the country. Arresting them can cause a lot of problems and other countries do note how these situations are handled.

[allanos]

Spying has been going on since time immemorial. The crime? Getting caught!

[Mario2008]

The CIA has offices, with the full knowledge of the host country, in most European countries and also other countries they are friendly with.

One of their purposes is exchanging information with the host country. Another is of course gathering information on their host country. Most of which is through legal means, for instance by reading all kinds of publications and following the news and political situation.

What they are not supposed to do, but of course do, is spy on the host country.

[fvw53]

If they have evidence of espionage, how about putting him in prison?

Surely that would be a much bigger embarrassment to the US.

I mean.... Surely the US would hand down a huge prison sentence to a German for the same offence.

In 1985 the American Jew Jonathan Pollard was caught of stealing highly classified documents.

He got a life sentence and is still in jail.

Until 1998 Israel denied that Pollard was an Israeli source. Their official position was that he worked for an unauthorized rogue operation

Later on some negotiations were initiated to get Pollard released and sent to Israel as an "Israeli citizen" but in the US there is a very hard line and powerful lobby which opposes this "trick"

That is how the USA punishes American citizens spying on them for a "friendly" nation.

[hard124get]

Now the US has been caught they claim, 'everyone spies on everyone else, didn't you know that?' Well no, we didn't . It's a bit like a friend stealing from your house, and claiming 'we all do that' !

[Morch]

Now the US has been caught they claim, 'everyone spies on everyone else, didn't you know that?' Well no, we didn't . It's a bit like a friend stealing from your house, and claiming 'we all do that' !

Did the USA actually make this claim?

[Sydebolle]

Well, Berlin - always good for a nice suspency spy story! I just wait for the moment spies spy on spies ;-)

[Tredz]

good job !!!!!!!!!!!

[SDM0712]

I can only speaks for the Brits I know, at home and here, but we are just getting a bit tired with hearing about our American cousins interfering in matters which shouldn't concern them. I fear the often referred to "Special Relationship" between the UK and US hasn't been special for a long time. Added to this is the perception that our Prime Ministers (Tony Blair being the first to spring to mind) seem to be the lapdogs of the American President doesn't help.

I'm not anti American, I have American family, but it is a shame many feel like this.

SDM