[...]Several hundred US secret-service agents continue to be active in Germany - on an official basis. Most of them are registered diplomats and many cooperate with the BND. If a BND staffer offers them additional, useful-sounding information off the radar, they will take it, even buy it, and channel it to the US. This will continue to be so in the future.
According to estimates, all US intelligence services have a budget of around 50 billion dollars - an enormous sum. Fearing the possibility of another 9/11-style terrorist attack, the US will continue to invest in the NSA, CIA and DIA (Defense Intelligence Agency). In any case, domestic security is more important to Washington than hurt feelings on the part of allies. And while this may seem arrogance from the European perspective, to Americans it is something natural.
In the end, there is nothing left for Germany to do but concentrate on protecting itself - including from US spying. If Germany invested more money into this, the Americans would understand the move.
After all, the Obama administration knows that its allies, including Germany, benefit from the information collected by US intelligence agencies. This is why, according to experts, the US government is hoping that the diplomatic dispute caused by the BND employee will die down quickly, and business as usual can resume soon.
Surveillance is a sensitive issue in a country where the memory of the Nazis' Gestapo secret police and communist East Germany's Stasi means the right to privacy is treasured.
Surveillance is a sensitive issue in a country where the memory of the Nazis' Gestapo secret police and communist East Germany's Stasi means the right to privacy is treasured.
The memory of Nazis Gestapo secret police and East Germany's Stasi...is one of the reason why any sane nation would include Germany on its list of countries that require some monitoring. Anyone leaving Germany off that list is not much into intelligence agencies at all.
Surveillance is a sensitive issue in a country where the memory of the Nazis' Gestapo secret police and communist East Germany's Stasi means the right to privacy is treasured.
The memory of Nazis Gestapo secret police and East Germany's Stasi...is one of the reason why any sane nation would include Germany on its list of countries that require some monitoring. Any intelligence agency leaving leaving Germany off that list should be disbanded as worthless.
0 Replies
cicerone imposter
1
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 11:28 am
@Frank Apisa,
WRONG! Treating our allies like enemies is similar to treating your own family and friends as enemies. You wouldn't know the difference. Do you have any friends, Frankie?
The Nazis had an extremely short run compared to the USA, Frank. And Germany has come to terms with that ugly past. Can you say the same about the USA's two centuries of nazi like behavior?
Perhaps a wee bit of introspection is in order.
0 Replies
Frank Apisa
2
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 11:41 am
@cicerone imposter,
cicerone imposter wrote:
WRONG! Treating our allies like enemies is similar to treating your own family and friends as enemies. You wouldn't know the difference. Do you have any friends, Frankie?
I have lots of friends...and even enemies I do not have to denigrate as often as you seem to need to denigrate people who simply disagree with you.
I have lots of friends...and even enemies I do not have to call dumb, stupid, ignorant, moron, idiot...anywhere near as much as you feel the need to use those terms on debate opponents.
And, ci, I do not have to use cheap nonsense like "Frankie" rather than just "Frank."
Your need for that kind of thing tells me enough about you to know you probably have very few real friends...although you may not have the guts to engage in that kind of thing in non-cyber life.
I wonder???
We will continue to spy on Germany...and Germany will continue to spy on us.
Frankie doesn't realize the condescending b.s. he uses when he disagrees with others. He knows how to shell it out, but can't take it when he's the target.
Could Frank really be that unconscious, CI, or is it just Frank being dishonest?
Ask him for me, could you? He's not honest enough to address me directly.
0 Replies
RABEL222
1
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 11:55 am
@cicerone imposter,
However CI, this kind of rhetoric dosent change minds. It only causes one to become more entrenched in their opinion. Your beginning to sound like JTT.
@cicerone imposter,
However CI, this kind of rhetoric dosent change minds. It only causes one to become more entrenched in their opinion.
Pretty damning comment, Rabel. You never were big on facts or the truth.
0 Replies
JTT
0
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 12:01 pm
@RABEL222,
Rabel addressed this to you here but what he really means is don't write that incredibly honest and brave post you wrote a few days ago describing the long history of USA war crimes and terrorism against poor defenceless countries.
0 Replies
cicerone imposter
1
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 12:38 pm
@RABEL222,
It may not change minds, but I'm going to challenge posters when they're in conflict with what I believe to be inconsistent with what I believe to be factual.
Anyone is open to challenge what I post - as opinion. After all, this is a public forum.
0 Replies
Frank Apisa
2
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 01:57 pm
@cicerone imposter,
cicerone imposter wrote:
You have friends because you don't trust any of them? LOL That's a joke on your friends.
That made no sense, but I guess the demons tormenting you require that kind of thing. So go for it, ci.
0 Replies
Frank Apisa
2
Sun 6 Jul, 2014 01:58 pm
@cicerone imposter,
cicerone imposter wrote:
Frankie doesn't realize the condescending b.s. he uses when he disagrees with others. He knows how to shell it out, but can't take it when he's the target.
I can take anything you dish out, ci. You are out of control. Anger...or frustration is ruling you.
