Edited by Katie Marinello
Spying on Friends
Published in El País
(Spain) on 13 July 2014
by Editorial (link to original)
(Spain) on 13 July 2014
by Editorial (link to original)
Translated from
by Cydney Seigerman.
Edited by .
The German decision to order the CIA head in Berlin to leave the country is a good indicator of the distaste in Angela Merkel's government after finding out that two German citizens, one a secret service agent and the other an employee at the Ministry of Defense, acted as spies for Americans. It is not the first time that Germany has used a method like this. It did so in 1997 when it expelled — although given that it has to do with an allied country, the word was carefully avoided — the head of American spies in Germany for spying on the relationship that the local nuclear industry had with the Iranian government.
In a way, it forms part of the rules of the game. Between allied countries, espionage is not a lawful act, and when discovered, the invitation for one or various secret agents to leave the country, followed by the offender's apologies, is almost taken for granted. In an age in which economic and industrial espionage are almost more important than military spying, every nation attentively monitors agents from powerful enemies and theoretical friends alike.
However, what makes this case peculiar and serious is that apparently, the U.S. Secret Service did not inform President Obama of what was happening in Germany. As a result, when the German chancellor answered what she thought to be a call from Obama giving some type of explication or apology, Obama did not mention the subject and insisted, as if nothing had happened, on taking the same side on hypothetical sanctions on Russia.
Espionage, both international and on a nation's own citizens, is creating constant headaches for the Obama administration. The disclosure of massive phone taps of world leaders — among them Merkel herself, whose cellphone was tapped, according to what Edward Snowden announced — journalists and other American citizens has prompted domestic affronts and attempts [to create] diplomatic crises for Obama, about which the president still has to give detailed explanations.
Germany is within its right to throw out those that it discovers to be working in espionage, be they from allied countries or not. And more importantly, Obama has the obligation to know what his Secret Service is doing.
In a way, it forms part of the rules of the game. Between allied countries, espionage is not a lawful act, and when discovered, the invitation for one or various secret agents to leave the country, followed by the offender's apologies, is almost taken for granted. In an age in which economic and industrial espionage are almost more important than military spying, every nation attentively monitors agents from powerful enemies and theoretical friends alike.
However, what makes this case peculiar and serious is that apparently, the U.S. Secret Service did not inform President Obama of what was happening in Germany. As a result, when the German chancellor answered what she thought to be a call from Obama giving some type of explication or apology, Obama did not mention the subject and insisted, as if nothing had happened, on taking the same side on hypothetical sanctions on Russia.
Espionage, both international and on a nation's own citizens, is creating constant headaches for the Obama administration. The disclosure of massive phone taps of world leaders — among them Merkel herself, whose cellphone was tapped, according to what Edward Snowden announced — journalists and other American citizens has prompted domestic affronts and attempts [to create] diplomatic crises for Obama, about which the president still has to give detailed explanations.
Germany is within its right to throw out those that it discovers to be working in espionage, be they from allied countries or not. And more importantly, Obama has the obligation to know what his Secret Service is doing.