icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
24 Oct, 2013 14:21

US intelligence drowning in spy data

US intelligence drowning in spy data

Americans are literally drowning in information, that's the reason they are so interested in executive data to keep on track with the real issues, Christoph Hoerstel, Government and business consultant, told RT.

RT:The White House says categorically that Angela Merkel’s phone was not being tapped. Does that perhaps suggest that the US administration isn’t aware of what its intelligence services are up to?

Christoph Hoerstel: We are witnessing quite a lot of multiple layer propaganda these days as an answer to the good offices of Edward Snowden. The fact is unfortunately that our American friends are listening to anybody, anywhere, and in your reporter’s piece there was just a quotation from our German telecom. Well, that’s a joke of course and they can use the German service, but the United States of America possesses houses which are located over the cable networks and they have technical means, believe me, to look into the data transferred through these cables. For example, the cable crossing in downtown Munich and the house on top belongs to the US. So these things are there and I don’t believe a bit that they are not listening to the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Everybody who is officially here in Germany knows that whenever he uses a phone, whenever he uses email or whenever he uses a cell phone or a fixed line, it doesn’t matter what else, Twitters or so, everything will be listened and will be recorded, and is open to spying. That is clear and open fact to anybody.

RT:The US says its surveillance activity is for counter-terrorism purposes. Why would it actually be spying on leaders of allied countries?

CH: Because, you know, this is a way they deal with the world. They think they are the masters of it. And, you know, that’s the factual expression in day-to-day observation how they get the material to make up their own judgment. And in the secret society, I can tell you, everywhere in Germany, I know this from my BND friends, who told me the Americans are literally drowning in information, that's the reason they are so interested in the executive, the short version of the BND findings, because it keeps the Americans drowning in data on track with the real issues.

RT:Peter Oliver in his report was talking about the diplomatic fallout. And of course tomorrow [on Friday] is the EU leaders' summit taking place. What sort of message those countries will be giving to the US as a result of this? Obviously not just Germany, but France in the last two days has been targeted.

CH: To appease the disgusted populations around the globe our governments will do the same many others have done, especially of course within NATO; they will say we will not accept it, this is unacceptable and please Americans, make sure that it won’t happen again, and all this bla-bla. They nod all the time, they count on it that this is happening, everybody knows that this is open talk among officials; this is just for the camera.

RT:So there’s going to be no long-term impact on relations between the EU and US, and they need each other and of course spying is going to continue? 

CH: [There will be] zero impact on the relations. There is a lot of bla-bla in the media, that’s all.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0