US on Spying Scandal: “Allies Aren’t Always Friends”

It was a rare moment when a national leader could empathize with ordinary citizens: German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacted with fury to reports in Der Spiegel that her personal phone was a target of the US National Security Agency. Earlier, during the election campaign as reports dribbled out about mass monitoring by the NSA, she expressed less concern. US President Barack Obama denied claims that he knew of such monitoring and only learned about it after ordering reviews during the summer; he promised Merkel that she is not and won't be under the surveillance. But the claim of ignorance raises new questions about oversight of many US surveillance programs and accountability. Europeans see a crisis of confidence in relations while US officials maintain that extensive surveillance provides security. Writing for Spiegel Online, Marc Pitzke questions whether European leaders want to protect citizen rights or gain access to US data collections. In seeking balance between security and civil rights, officials tend to favor the former until they become targets. – YaleGlobal