NSA Spied on German Ex-Chancellor Over Iraq War Opposition
Source: commondreams.org
The National Security Agency tapped the mobile phone of Germany’s ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder because of his opposition to the U.S.-led war on Iraq, German media reported Tuesday.
According to a joint report by Süddeutsche Zeitung daily and regional public broadcaster NDR, the surveillance of Angela Merkel’s predecessor began in 2002, with his name being number 388 on a list of people whose communications should be surveilled."We had reason to presume that [Schroeder] was not contributing to the success of the alliance," Süddeutsche quotes an unnamed source as saying.
Schroeder, a Social Democrat, held office from 1998 until 2005, with his second term beginning in 2002.
He was s staunch opponent of the Iraq war, saying at the beginning of his second election campaign that his country would not be providing troops for what he called an "adventure."
"My arguments against military intervention remain, and it is clear that under my leadership, Germany will not participate in military action," Schroeder added during campaign appearances.
Then-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld offered his thoughts on Schroeder’s reelection, saying, "the way [the election] was conducted was notably unhelpful, and as the White House indicated, has had the effect of poisoning the [U.S.-German] relationship."
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Read the full article at: commondreams.org
