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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCall In Germany for SNOWDEN To Be WITNESS To NSA WIRETAPPING Of Merkel Deeply Embarrassing To Obama

It's not official, and it may never come to pass. But various press sources are reporting about a growing movement to have NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden testify in Germany. According to the newspaper that broke the Snowden NSA revelations, The Guardian UK:
Some German politicians and newspaper columnists have backed calls for Snowden to be invited as a witness. The justice minister, Sabine Leuheusser-Schnarrenberger, told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper: "If the allegations build up and lead to an investigation, one could think about calling in Snowden as a witness."
Thomas Oppermann, of the Social Democrats, said: "Snowden's claims appear to be credible, while the US government has blatantly lied to us on this matter. That's why Snowden could be an important witness, also in clearing up the surveillance of the chancellor's mobile."
In Süddeutsche Zeitung, the columnist Heribert Prantl wrote: "Granting asylum to Snowden could be a way of restoring Germany's damaged sovereignty."
The Bundestag will hold a special session to discuss NSA spying on 18 November. The Green party and the leftwing Die Linke have been leading calls for that session to result in a parliamentary investigation.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/01/germany-edward-snowden-witness-nsa-inquiry
Thomas Oppermann, of the Social Democrats, said: "Snowden's claims appear to be credible, while the US government has blatantly lied to us on this matter. That's why Snowden could be an important witness, also in clearing up the surveillance of the chancellor's mobile."
In Süddeutsche Zeitung, the columnist Heribert Prantl wrote: "Granting asylum to Snowden could be a way of restoring Germany's damaged sovereignty."
The Bundestag will hold a special session to discuss NSA spying on 18 November. The Green party and the leftwing Die Linke have been leading calls for that session to result in a parliamentary investigation.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/01/germany-edward-snowden-witness-nsa-inquiry
There is even talk in progressive circles of finding a legal way to grant Snowden asylum. With Chancellor Angela Merkel's outrage at having her cellphone tapped -- along with the apparently massive data mining of other German officials and German citizens -- the uproar is not likely to soon subside. On Tuesday, BuzzFlash at Truthout wrote a commentary, "What We Know About Government Malfeasance Is Primarily Due to Whistleblowers." As we pointed out, whistleblowers have shown that using massive surveillance to protect us from terrorists is a very small part of US surveillance objectives, which include political spying, suppression of protest movements, and corporate espionage conducted by the US government -- among other goals.
Many persons, even progressives, have argued that it is only natural to assume all governments, even friendly ones, spy on each other. Perhaps that is true, although to vastly varying degrees. But even if one accepts that premise, our nation has been lied to about what are the real objectives of the NSA and America's massive surveillance apparatus build-up since the Cold War. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent to find a few terrorists? If you believe that, we've got a three dollar bill to sell you.
cont'
http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/item/18290-call-in-germany-for-snowden-to-be-a-witness-to-nsa-wiretapping-of-merkel-deeply-embarrassing-to-obama
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Call In Germany for SNOWDEN To Be WITNESS To NSA WIRETAPPING Of Merkel Deeply Embarrassing To Obama (Original Post)
Segami
Nov 2013
OP
"...Snowden also indicated he would be willing to help German officials investigate..
Segami
Nov 2013
#7
there is no denying this has hurt our international reputation. and using drones isn't helping
liberal_at_heart
Nov 2013
#9
Countries only extradite people they want to extradite. We didn't send Amanda Knox to Italy.
liberal_at_heart
Nov 2013
#13
It damned well should be "embarrassing" that we spy on our "Allies" and their people.
Tierra_y_Libertad
Nov 2013
#11
German BND (directly subordinate to Angela Merkel) also spies on the U.S.
Mother Muckraker
Nov 2013
#14
what a fucking shame.
Segami
(14,923 posts)2. "...Some German politicians and newspaper columnists.....
....have backed calls for Snowden to be invited as a witness. The justice minister, Sabine Leuheusser-Schnarrenberger, told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper: "If the allegations build up and lead to an investigation, one could think about calling in Snowden as a witness."
Thomas Oppermann, of the Social Democrats, said: "Snowden's claims appear to be credible, while the US government has blatantly lied to us on this matter. That's why Snowden could be an important witness, also in clearing up the surveillance of the chancellor's mobile."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/01/germany-edward-snowden-witness-nsa-inquiry
former9thward
(33,424 posts)3. The Snowden haters will lose their talking points if he goes to Germany.
Like 'Snowden wanted to go to China' and 'Snowden wanted to go to Russia.' But no fear they will churn out new ones.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)5. America, the Insatiably Curious
99Forever
(14,524 posts)6. Ut oh...
... that's gonna leave a mark.
Segami
(14,923 posts)7. "...Snowden also indicated he would be willing to help German officials investigate..
.......alleged U.S. spying in Germany, said Hans-Christian Stroebele, a lawmaker with the opposition Green Party and a member of the parliamentary committee that oversees German intelligence.
Stroebele met with Snowden for three hours on Thursday, a week after explosive allegations that the NSA had monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone prompted her to complain personally to President Barack Obama. The alleged spying has produced the most serious diplomatic tensions between the two allies since Germany opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In his one-page typed letter, written in English and bearing signatures that Stroebele said were his own and Snowden's, the American complained that the U.S. government "continues to treat dissent as defection, and seeks to criminalize political speech with felony charges that provide no defense."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11150355
Stroebele met with Snowden for three hours on Thursday, a week after explosive allegations that the NSA had monitored Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone prompted her to complain personally to President Barack Obama. The alleged spying has produced the most serious diplomatic tensions between the two allies since Germany opposed the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In his one-page typed letter, written in English and bearing signatures that Stroebele said were his own and Snowden's, the American complained that the U.S. government "continues to treat dissent as defection, and seeks to criminalize political speech with felony charges that provide no defense."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11150355
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)8. But, but, but...boxesin the garage
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)9. there is no denying this has hurt our international reputation. and using drones isn't helping
our international reputation either. These issues are also part of the reason President Obama's approval numbers are down.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)10. Extradition treaty?
If Snowden could go to Germany he would not have been stuck in a Russian airport.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)13. Countries only extradite people they want to extradite. We didn't send Amanda Knox to Italy.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)15. My point stands, If he could have gone to Germany he would have. n/t
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)16. Now that they know they are being spied on they may allow him in.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)17. Maybe, we shall see.
But I kinda doubt it.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)11. It damned well should be "embarrassing" that we spy on our "Allies" and their people.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)12. K & R !!!

Mother Muckraker
(116 posts)14. German BND (directly subordinate to Angela Merkel) also spies on the U.S.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-thomson/oh-by-the-way-germany-spi_b_4184047.html
For two decades, a quiet office park outside Frankfurt has served as home to Project Rahab, a cyber-espionage operation named after the prostitute in the Book of Joshua who helps spies infiltrate Jericho. According to the National Security Council's Operations Security Intelligence Threat Handbook, Project Rahab is an arm of the Bundesnachrichtendienst, or BND, Germany's foreign intelligence agency. Of note, the BND is directly subordinate to German chancellor Angela Merkel.
Project Rahab uses SIGINT -- intelligence based on interception of signals, conversations and electronic communications -- to gather information on foreign business competition that can benefit German companies. BND officers have penetrated computer networks and databases in countries including Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy, and the United States.
Project Rahab uses SIGINT -- intelligence based on interception of signals, conversations and electronic communications -- to gather information on foreign business competition that can benefit German companies. BND officers have penetrated computer networks and databases in countries including Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Italy, and the United States.