Three Different Prisms? Parliament Seeks Clarity in NSA Scandal

[xchrom]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/merkel-chief-of-staff-testifies-before-parliament-on-nsa-spying-a-913268.html

The meeting lasted for three hours, partially the result of the complex nature of the material being addressed. The oppressive heat hanging over Berlin this week didn't help.

"Mr. Prism is an important witness," Hans-Christian Ströbele said into the microphone, adding that he would love to ask "Mr. Prism" a few questions. Ströbele is the senior Green Party representative on the Parliamentary Control Panel, the body in the Bundestag assigned to keep tabs on the activities of Germany's intelligence agencies. And the hot weather would seem to be taking its toll. He was referring to Edward Snowden, the former US intelligence officer who revealed the full extent of American data surveillance operations to the world in June and who is still stuck in the transit area of Moscow's international airport.

When he was made aware of his slip-up, Ströbele grabbed his head. But he is far from the only one who is having a hard time keeping things straight these days. It seems that hardly a week goes by without the name of yet another top-secret computer program hitting the headlines -- combined with accusations, assertions and denials. The spying scandal focused on the activities of the US National Security Agency (NSA) has continued even as Berlin politics slows down for the summer break.

On Thursday, for the fifth time since the first revelations from Snowden were published in the beginning of June, the Parliamentary Control Panel met, and there were hopes that it might finally shed some light onto the true nature of Germany's cooperation with the NSA. Snowden, of course, wasn't present. Instead, Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of staff, Ronald Pofalla -- who is the senior Chancellery official tasked with monitoring Germany's intelligence activities -- was there.

[xchrom]

1. kick

[chimpymustgo]

2. Maybe we can get some clarity from overseas legislators and media. Inquiring minds...

I mean...don't even the Pro-Cheney authoritarians want to KNOW?

[xchrom]

3. i thought this would be more interesting? nt

[Hydra]

4. Apparently not to some

I'm waiting and watching right now. The snow ball has been tossed and it seems to be gaining size and speed.

We can assume they were all working with each other and against each other, but the US has more muscle and money to throw at it and seems to be doing it on behalf of corporations too.