NSA Monitored Calls of 35 World Leaders

Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "The Guardian reports that the NSA monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another U.S. government department. According to a classified document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, the NSA encourages senior officials in its 'customer' departments, such 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 NSA memo dated October 2006 that was 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 U.S. officials to do so. However, the memo acknowledges that eavesdropping on the numbers had produced 'little reportable intelligence.' At the daily briefing on Thursday, White House press secretary Jay Carney again refused to answer repeated questions about whether the U.S. had spied on German Chancellor Angela Merkel's calls in the past."

Comments

Re:Who's surprised?

[synapse7]

Also, we know Al Gore invented the internet and we all know ownership is nine-tenths of the law..

Dear German spies:

[Entropius]

Can you please spy on my government and tell me what the hell they're up to these days? I have no clue, and they're certainly not telling.

Thanks,
An American

Re:Nothing of Value

[Anonymous Coward]

I liked George Bush. Both irresponsible and incompetent. But he had some personality.