Obama May Ban Spying on Heads of Allied States

María Fernanda Pérez 

141330 

USGOV

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/29/world/europe/obama-may-ban-spying-on-heads-of-allied-states.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=todayspaper

For some time you are talking about espionage, but now we know that the National Security Agency in the U.S. has been spying on its allies including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. With complaints presented by the Chancellor President Obama is in order to stop them. The NSA also has had almost unfettered powers to collect data on tens of millions of people around the world, from ordinary citizens to heads of state, including the leaders of Brazil and Mexico.

The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says the United States should not be collecting phone calls or emails. and said his committee would begin with fundamental review of all intelligence collection programs.

It is also likely to prompt a fierce debate on what constitutes an American ally. Prohibiting eavesdropping on Ms. Merkel’s phone is an easier judgment than, for example, collecting intelligence on the military-backed leaders in Egypt. Besides the NSA has already made ​​some decisions through these processes.

The White House has faced growing outrage in Germany and among other European allies over its surveillance policies. Senior officials from Ms. Merkel’s office and the heads of Germany’s domestic and foreign intelligence agencies plan to travel to Washington in the coming days to register their anger. And they are expected to ask for a no-spying agreement similar to what the United States has with Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which are known as the Five Eyes. And they they would give the German a careful hearing.

The NSA’s documentation on Ms. Merkel’s case authorized the agency’s operatives in Germany not only to collect data about the numbers she was calling, but also to listen in on her conversations. It was unclear whether excerpts from Ms. Merkel’s conversations appeared in intelligence reports that were circulated in Washington or shared with the White House. Officials said they had never seen information attributed to an intercept of Ms. Merkel’s conversations. But they said it was likely that some conversations had been recorded simply because the NSA had focused on her for so long. The German officials have said that all this has broken trust between two close allies.

Silvia Kofler, spokeswoman for the European Union, said that this clearly was a problem and they had to restore trust between the partners and not spying. She also said that ones potential threat was the negotiation of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, one of Mr. Obama’s major trade initiatives. She said that European Union officials were anxious to keep those talks on track but would require unspecified “confidencebuilding measures” to restore trust between the two sides.

I do not agree that Obama hasn´t authorized the spying. Also, I dont think it's possible that the NSA has spied so many people and so many American allies behind Obama. And the Mexican government should do more noticeable complaint against espionage, cause it is a violation of the privacy, to the president and to  mexican citizens living in the United States. This only causes distrust and international tensions. And also alliances can be lost. As Merkel said: "Friends do not spy on".

Conclusions: Our government should require a further investigate in detail to the U.S. spy of our president,  this only represents U.S. distrust to their "allies". Even  many countries also have their intelligence and research centers, it is a matter that shouldn´t be taking lightly. And this just means the control that U.S. wants to have on everything.

All the spied countries should tap their measurements and precautions.