Obama defends spy agencies' European surveillance

[EC]

Via Politico: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/obama-defends-spy-agencies-european-surveillance-93618.html

President Barack Obama on Monday defended U.S. spy agencies’ surveillance of European governments, calling the practice of monitoring allies standard in the international intelligence community.

“In European capitals, there are people who are interested in if not what I had for breakfast, then at least my talking points,” he said in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, suggesting that the U.S. allies engage in the same practices detailed in The Guardian’s Sunday story featuring new revelations from documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
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But, as the “end user” of intelligence, Obama said he sees no reason to depend upon what’s collected through surveillance, and goes directly to his fellow leaders when he wants their opinions.

“If I want to know what Chancellor Merkel is thinking, I’ll call Chancellor Merkel,” he said, referring to Germany’s leader, before mentioning the French president and the British prime minister. “If I want to know what President Hollande is thinking, I’ll call President Hollande. If I want to know what David Cameron is thinking, you know, I’ll call David Cameron.”

More at link.

Ladies and gentlemen, start your talking points please ....

[flowers]

But, as the “end user” of intelligence, Obama said he sees no reason to depend upon what’s collected through surveillance, and goes directly to his fellow leaders when he wants their opinions.

“If I want to know what Chancellor Merkel is thinking, I’ll call Chancellor Merkel,” he said, referring to Germany’s leader, before mentioning the French president and the British prime minister. “If I want to know what President Hollande is thinking, I’ll call President Hollande. If I want to know what David Cameron is thinking, you know, I’ll call David Cameron.”

BS!  When does he have the time to call any of these people?  He is to busy destroying this country.   By the way I still don't know why this info is so upsetting? Governments have been doing this for years....could this be a distraction?

[EC]

But, as the “end user” of intelligence, Obama said he sees no reason to depend upon what’s collected through surveillance, and goes directly to his fellow leaders when he wants their opinions.

“If I want to know what Chancellor Merkel is thinking, I’ll call Chancellor Merkel,” he said, referring to Germany’s leader, before mentioning the French president and the British prime minister. “If I want to know what President Hollande is thinking, I’ll call President Hollande. If I want to know what David Cameron is thinking, you know, I’ll call David Cameron.”

BS!  When does he have the time to call any of these people?  He is to busy destroying this country.   By the way I still don't know why this info is so upsetting? Governments have been doing this for years....could this be a distraction?

The Obama Whitehouse very rarely makes calls to other world leaders. They prefer to receive them instead, which is an annoying bit of arrogance in it's own right.

Part of the upset is over the breech of protocol. Every government spies on both it's own people and every other government. It just doesn't get talked about much. Having it laid out in public, just how huge PRISM is, is a shock to a lot of people. You know how easy it is to think "Well they're not interested in me." Turns out they are interested in everyone.