White House OKd spying on allies, U.S. intelligence officials say

[morningfog]

WASHINGTON — The White House and State Department signed off on surveillance targeting phone conversations of friendly foreign leaders, current and former U.S. intelligence officials said Monday, pushing back against assertions that President Obama and his aides were unaware of the high-level eavesdropping.

Professional staff members at the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies are angry, these officials say, believing the president has cast them adrift as he tries to distance himself from the disclosures by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden that have strained ties with close allies.

The resistance emerged as the White House said it would curtail foreign intelligence collection in some cases and two senior U.S. senators called for investigations of the practice.

France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Sweden have all publicly complained about the NSA surveillance operations, which reportedly captured private cellphone conversations by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other foreign leaders.

http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-spying-phones-20131029,0,3235295.story#axzz2j4lohRpI

[woo me with science]

1. So sick of spying and looting and lies.

K&R

[Hutzpa]

2. This is totally uncalled for

not cool.

This is not a fucking game.

[1000words]

3. There goes "the President didn't know" spin.

New talking points being thought up as I write, I'm sure.

[geek tragedy]

4. So now you believe everything that anonymous NSA/CIA officials say? nt

[1000words]

6. A major US publication has reported a news item

I'm going to defer to their information before I do anonymous posters on a political website.

Funny, I don't hear too many folks expressing concern over anonymous sources when it reflects kindly on the administration.

[geek tragedy]

7. Yes, quoting anonymous "intelligence officials" nt

[BluegrassStateBlues]

10. Anything that confirms their hatred for this President.

Meanwhile, numerous other sources reporting he did not know.

And those quotes actually have names attached to them.

What we have here is probably some interview Hayden phoned in on a train.

[1000words]

11. I challenge you to find one post where I've expressed any animosity towards Pres. Obama

One.

[BluegrassStateBlues]

12. I have no mental disorders that would compel me to research a user's post history. nt

[1000words]

15. I'll cut to the chase: It doesn't exist.

I'd look into that disorder that compels you to lob innuendo and false accusations.

[BluegrassStateBlues]

16. False accusations like: "There goes "the President didn't know" spin."

[morningfog]

17. The claim that the President didn't know is out there. This OP contradicts that.

We don't know what exactly is false yet.

[SidDithers]

13. Welcome to DU...

Sid

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Whiplash

[woo me with science]

9. No kidding.

There is no spying on Americans.
We are considering reining in the spying.
The spying is necessary for national security; you just need to be more comfortable with it.
(insert the "least untruthful answer&quot

Obama did not know of spying on allies.
All countries spy on one another; everybody knows that.
We will no longer spy on allies.
Spying on allies will continue.
We may stop spying on some allies.

There will be no Grand Bargain.
"Entitlement reform" will be part of any package.
Democrats will need to swallow entitlement cuts.


It's like living in Oceania. Watch what they do, not what they say.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. In the same vein, chocolate rations are going up

As well as victory gyn rations.

[TroglodyteScholar]

8. Public Service Announcement

Please don't forget how tightly intertwined the US intelligence community is with the BFEE.

[Skidmore]

18. The last people on earth I would trust would be anyone from within

the bowels of alphabet soup of the intelligence agencies--all of them.