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

[jsr]

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

White House OKd spying on allies, U.S. intelligence officials say
NSA and other U.S. intelligence agency staff members are said to be angry at President Obama for denying knowledge of the spying.
By Ken Dilanian and Janet Stobart
October 28, 2013, 7:25 p.m.

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.

[marmar]

1. This is going to get very ugly.

nt

[Generic Other]

2. They clearly see themselves above the reach of the president even

I'd fire that ass Alexander so fast his spy equipment wouldn't see it coming. Obama does not have to fall on his sword when there are underlings galore who are in line ahead of him.