(Chancellor Angela) Merkel: Stop spying on reporters

[sabra]

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/05/15/german.spying.reut/

Merkel: Stop spying on reporters

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's government admitted on Monday that the foreign intelligence agency had spied on German journalists and said it had ordered it to stop.

Government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said the surveillance by the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) appeared to be "isolated past cases" and in future "such operative measures against journalists ... are not to be repeated."

He said the BND had been asked for a report on the issue this week and the government would then consider what "personnel consequences" should be drawn, an indication that heads could roll.

The affair has dealt a new and damaging blow to the BND, responsible for gathering intelligence abroad.

[Tempest]

1. What is it about conservatives

And their current embracement of fascism?

Didn't they learn from history?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. Interesting that the BND was originally known as the Gehlen Org....

...named for the German General, Reinhard Gehlen, who managed a spy network of about 10,000 agents behind Soviet lines during WWII. After Gehlen surrendered to American forces, he offered a deal...in return for no prosecution/imprisonment, Gehlen would continue to direct the espionage efforts of his group AFTER the end of WWII.

The Gehlen Org became part of the CIA in 1948. For the next seven years they provided virtually the only source of information about what was happening in the old Soviet Union. Small wonder that the Cold War was such tense environment.

In 1955, the Gehlen Org became West Germany's spy organization, the BND, and Gehlen became its first Director. Just another former Nazi working for the U. S., right?

Interesting that the BND is being accused of domestic espionage against their media, something which the NSA is being accused of in the U. S. Birds of a feather, etc.