Perspective: US Wiretapping Activities

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was justifiably angered by the “breach of trust.” U.S. President Barack Obama, who received an angry phone call from the chancellor, replied by indicating that (according to a White House press release), “The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel.” It’s an awkward explanation, with the ring of “Yes, we were doing it before.”

In the wake of a series of wiretapping allegations against the U.S., suspicions have surfaced that U.S. intelligence was monitoring Chancellor Merkel’s cellphone. The possibility was even raised at the European Council meetings on Oct. 24 and 25. In the end, however, the EU did not take a harsh attitude toward its ally the U.S.

However, if we accept on faith Obama’s word that it will not happen anymore and neglect to impose countermeasures, there is a chance that we could come up against wiretapping by Russia or China, for example. Although intelligence gathering via the Internet is progressing, criminal methods for infiltrating other countries’ computers and cyberattacks that disrupt security information are becoming more sophisticated.

This is not the first time there has been a conflict between the U.S. and the EU over intelligence gathering. In 2001, the European Parliament compiled a report on the U.S.-led international organization ECHELON, which monitored phones and fax machines, violating human rights and privacy. The veiled feud over intelligence gathering will continue to heat up on a global scale.

That is a reality. As Chancellor Merkel puts it, it’s important to agree in good faith not to spy on friends (allied countries), but an arrangement for inspecting a breach of the rules is necessary, so as not to invite suspicion. As with military reduction and arms control, there is an increased need for verification with intelligence gathering. At the same time, if we don’t neutralize wiretapping and cyberattacks from non-ally nations in particular, this will become an era in which we cannot protect the interests of citizens.

Intelligence-gathering activities exposed by [Edward] Snowden, a former employee of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency who is wanted by the U.S., are only the tip of the iceberg. There are also reports that the U.S. has eavesdropped on the phone calls of 35 world leaders, and there are signs that there will be further repercussions. Like [Julian] Assange of WikiLeaks, who leaks classified documents, Snowden – ethics of his actions aside – likely meant to challenge America’s wall of secrecy.

In recent years, cases in which the Obama administration, saddled with traitors and a low diplomatic score, has applied the Espionage Act domestically have been surprisingly conspicuous. It is undeniable that such an approach extinguishes the administration’s luster, and even pro-American countries have begun distancing themselves. If the influence of the increasingly distrusted U.S. is further diminished in Europe, the “breakdown in class discipline” could continue. I hope President Obama will rouse himself to action, in order to prove such concerns to be groundless.