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German Federal Police Helicopter Circles US Consulate
New submitter mwissel writes "The German Federal Police ('Bundespolizei') had sent out an helicopter in late August to fly over the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt and take photos from only 60 meters height — reportedly to search for spy antennae and other espionage related equipment on the building rooftops. A government spokesmen more or less confirmed the purpose of the flight, and it is said that Merkel's chief of staff, Ronald Pofalla, gave the order. This is remarkable, because Pofalla so far stood out with a very U.S.-friendly attitude in the debate around NSA surveillance programs. There was, of course, no word about any findings. It also remains unclear whether this was just plain provocation or a PR-stunt for the upcoming federal elections in Germany on September 22nd."
The Art of Diplomacy, it is said,
is saying "nice doggy" whilst you look about
for a large enough stick.
Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
Not even military. Germany has foreign and domestic intelligence agencies - the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) and the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), respectively. They don't need the po-po's helicopter to check for antennae. They already know or can reasonably guess what intercept equipment is on-site at the consulate (and other sites).
If this stunt's goals were any more transparent, birds would be smashing into them with the frequency of that Hot Butter song.
Yep and also the Consulate is legally US territory anyway so they can put what the hell they like on the roof.
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
Ronald Pofalla is know for his - how shall I put it? - errrm, ... lack of subtleness. How the _chancelors_ chief of staff can order a _police_ helicopter to do what's basically a military/state _intel_ job is totally beyond me though. ... It raised a lot less of a stink than I would have hoped for.
We have these nutcase scenarios where people seem to break every rule in the book just for the heck of it. At the G8 convention in Heiligendam we had high-tech tactical bombers helping out the police gathering intel on demonstrators.
My 2 cents.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
It's just manipulative police, nothing to do with law and order.
So ... just like the police then, eh?
Not really, no. I don't know where you live but over here in Europe (at least in several countries in Europe) most of the police work is really done to enforce "law and order". Of course, there is the occasional political arrest and other police actions that are deceitful and/or manipulative, but it is the exception, not the rule.
The foreign actions of the USA is quite the opposite: You may find one being genuinely innocent, but the overwhelming majority of it is just here to server internal US interests, not "law and order".
Write boring code, not shiny code!
They're just not as good at it.
I might want to introduce you to an old friend called FSB (née KGB).
Yes, I know your currently outraged a the massive surveillance and interception network that the NSA has built itself recently. But you should probably realise that a time when those who took the decision to start this program weren't even born, there where other organisation which were already been doing it routinely.
Big surprise #1: OMG the NSA is massively spying on everyone including it own population at a scaring level.
Big surprise #2: Others have been doing the exact same for ages and are probably similarily good at it by now. (Russia and China are probable good candidates for having NSA-like infrastructures, capabilites, and gathered data)
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]