Courtesy of Mish.
NSA contact lists show NSA monitored calls of 35 world leaders.
The National Security Agency monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another US government department, according to a classified document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The confidential memo reveals that the NSA encourages senior officials in its “customer” departments, such as the White House, State and the Pentagon, to share their “Rolodexes” so the agency can add the phone numbers of leading foreign politicians to their surveillance systems.
The document notes that one unnamed US official handed over 200 numbers, including those of the 35 world leaders, none of whom is named. These were immediately “tasked” for monitoring by the NSA.
The NSA memo obtained by the Guardian suggests that such surveillance was not isolated, as the agency routinely monitors the phone numbers of world leaders – and even asks for the assistance of other US officials to do so.
The memo, dated October 2006 and which was issued to staff in the agency’s Signals Intelligence Directorate (SID), was titled “Customers Can Help SID Obtain Targetable Phone Numbers”.
The NSA memo seen by the Guardian was written halfway through George W Bush’s second term, when Condoleezza Rice was secretary of state and Donald Rumsfeld was in his final months as defence secretary.
Merkel Phones Obama Over incident
On Wednesday, Merkel phoned president Obama to complain.
For details see Germany Accuses US of Spying on Merkel’s Phone; Merkel Phones Obama; Why Should Any Country Trust the US?
Mistrust Mounts: Merkel and Hollande to Change Intelligence Ties With US
As mistrust mounts over NSA spying, Merkel and Hollande to change intelligence ties with US.
Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said she and her French counterpart would launch a “joint initiative” to renegotiate their intelligence services’ co-operation with the US, saying protocols must be set following revelations of widespread American eavesdropping on European leaders.
“I think the services need to come to agreement between each other on yardsticks and other norms and standards,” Ms Merkel said at a press conference after the first day of a two-day summit in Brussels. “Words are not sufficient. True change is necessary.”
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