Germany expels CIA official in US spy row

[RainfallWithin]

 

Quotes from BBC News source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28243933

 

 

The German government has ordered the expulsion of a CIA official in Berlin in response to two cases of alleged spying by the US.

 

The official is said to have acted as a CIA contact at the US embassy, reports say, in a scandal that has infuriated German politicians.

 

A 31-year-old German intelligence official was arrested last week on suspicion of spying.

 

Reports on Wednesday said an inquiry had also begun into a German soldier.

 

"The representative of the US intelligence services at the embassy of the United States of America has been told to leave Germany," government spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

 

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It wasn't too long ago, after all, that we heard the National Security Agency was spying on Chancellor Merkel's mobile phone. After a review into the surveillance programmes, President Obama promised the US wouldn't spy on its friends overseas.

 

But despite requests to be included, Germany isn't part of a non-spying pact the US has with Britain, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. The White House will want to do all it can to repair any trust issues over this latest incident, so they can work together in other areas - for example, it needs German support for tougher sanctions against Russia over Ukraine.

 

The chairman of the Bundestag (parliament) committee overseeing the German secret service said the action was taken because of American spying on German politicians and its failure to co-operate and provide adequate responses.

 

The US has not denied allegations that a German intelligence agency employee arrested last week was passing secret documents to the US National Security Agency (NSA).

 

However, the latest reports that a soldier within the defence ministry was also spying for the US were considered more serious. Although no arrest was made, searches were carried out on Wednesday at the ministry and elsewhere.

 

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Timeline: Germany spy scandal

 

October 2013: German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls US President Barack Obama after revelations that the US may have spied on her mobile phone

 

June 2014: Germany announces an investigation into the claims

 

4 July 2014: A suspected US spy said to be working for the German intelligence agency is arrested

 

9 July 2014: A second case emerges as searches are carried out at the defence ministry

 

10 July 2014: German government orders expulsion of CIA official

 

 

On Thursday, Mrs Merkel said spying on allies was a "waste of energy".

 

"We have so many problems, we should focus on the important things," she said.

 

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"In the Cold War maybe there was general mistrust. Today we are living in the 21st Century. Today there are completely new threats."

 

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The German intelligence official arrested last week was alleged to have been trying to gather details about a German parliamentary committee investigating the NSA spying scandal.

 

 

Personal Thoughts

 

What I'm interested in knowing is what the United States thought it would achieve by spying on the German government.

[madscientist56]

everybody has spy's everywhere, sometimes they just get caught.

[Victorious Secret]

This shouldn't be shocking to most people. 

 

Spies are still a very real thing, maybe not James Bond level escapades but every country engages in infiltration on multiple levels. 

 

Germany can be upset all they want, they probably have a few of their own in America doing the very same thing.