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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'Prolific Partner': German Intelligence Used NSA Spy Program
July 20, 2013 06:02 PM
'Prolific Partner': German Intelligence Used NSA Spy Program
The entrance to the headquarters of Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, near Munich: "A willingness to pursue new opportunities for cooperation"
Angela Merkel and her ministers claim they first learned about the US government's comprehensive spying programs from press reports. But SPIEGEL has learned that German intelligence services themselves use one of the NSA's most valuable tools.
Germany's foreign intelligence service, the BND, and its domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), used a spying program of the American National Security Agency (NSA). This is evident in secret documents from the US intelligence service that have been seen by SPIEGEL journalists. The documents show that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution was equipped with a program called XKeyScore intended to "expand their ability to support NSA as we jointly prosecute CT (counterterrorism) targets." The BND is tasked with instructing the domestic intelligence agency on how to use the program, the documents say.
According to an internal NSA presentation from 2008, the program is a productive espionage tool. Starting with the metadata -- or information about which data connections were made and when -- it is able, for instance, to retroactively reveal any terms the target person has typed into a search engine, the documents show. In addition, the system is able to receive a "full take" of all unfiltered data over a period of several days -- including, at least in part, the content of communications.
This is relevant from a German perspective, because the documents show that of the up to 500 million data connections from Germany accessed monthly by the NSA, a major part is collected with XKeyScore (for instance, around 180 million in December 2012). The BND and BfV, when contacted by SPIEGEL, would not discuss the espionage tool. The NSA, as well, declined to comment, referring instead to the words of US President Barack Obama during his visit to Berlin and saying there was nothing to add.
'Eagerness and Desire'
Furthermore, the documents show that the cooperation of the German intelligence agencies with the NSA has recently intensified. Reference is made to the "eagerness and desire" of BND head Gerhard Schindler. "The BND has been working to influence the German government to relax interpretation of the privacy laws to provide greater opportunities of intelligence sharing," the NSA noted in January. Over the course of 2012, German partners had shown a "willingness to take risks and to pursue new opportunities for cooperation with the US."
...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-intelligence-agencies-used-nsa-spying-program-a-912173.html
'Prolific Partner': German Intelligence Used NSA Spy Program
The entrance to the headquarters of Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, near Munich: "A willingness to pursue new opportunities for cooperation"
Angela Merkel and her ministers claim they first learned about the US government's comprehensive spying programs from press reports. But SPIEGEL has learned that German intelligence services themselves use one of the NSA's most valuable tools.
Germany's foreign intelligence service, the BND, and its domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), used a spying program of the American National Security Agency (NSA). This is evident in secret documents from the US intelligence service that have been seen by SPIEGEL journalists. The documents show that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution was equipped with a program called XKeyScore intended to "expand their ability to support NSA as we jointly prosecute CT (counterterrorism) targets." The BND is tasked with instructing the domestic intelligence agency on how to use the program, the documents say.
According to an internal NSA presentation from 2008, the program is a productive espionage tool. Starting with the metadata -- or information about which data connections were made and when -- it is able, for instance, to retroactively reveal any terms the target person has typed into a search engine, the documents show. In addition, the system is able to receive a "full take" of all unfiltered data over a period of several days -- including, at least in part, the content of communications.
This is relevant from a German perspective, because the documents show that of the up to 500 million data connections from Germany accessed monthly by the NSA, a major part is collected with XKeyScore (for instance, around 180 million in December 2012). The BND and BfV, when contacted by SPIEGEL, would not discuss the espionage tool. The NSA, as well, declined to comment, referring instead to the words of US President Barack Obama during his visit to Berlin and saying there was nothing to add.
'Eagerness and Desire'
Furthermore, the documents show that the cooperation of the German intelligence agencies with the NSA has recently intensified. Reference is made to the "eagerness and desire" of BND head Gerhard Schindler. "The BND has been working to influence the German government to relax interpretation of the privacy laws to provide greater opportunities of intelligence sharing," the NSA noted in January. Over the course of 2012, German partners had shown a "willingness to take risks and to pursue new opportunities for cooperation with the US."
...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-intelligence-agencies-used-nsa-spying-program-a-912173.html
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'Prolific Partner': German Intelligence Used NSA Spy Program (Original Post)
Catherina
Jul 2013
OP
Considering the fact that NAZIS were incorporated in the foundation of US intelligence (NSA,CIA) in
bobthedrummer
Jul 2013
#4
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)1. The ripples are spreading.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)2. It's not a moment too soon for that dreadful Merkel to go down
after the economic damage her administration wreaked. I'm glad this is now an important election issue in Germany.
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)3. The SPD is going after Merkel on this issue.
As are the Greens.
OldEurope
(1,273 posts)5. But if Merkel knew,
SPD knew also. At least Steinmeier should have known. Who was in charge when 9/11 happend?
Catherina
(35,568 posts)6. When are the elections? n/t
Tierra_y_Libertad
(50,414 posts)8. Here is all the info. September 22.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)9. Thanks n/t
bobthedrummer
(26,083 posts)4. Considering the fact that NAZIS were incorporated in the foundation of US intelligence (NSA,CIA) in
1947 I'm not surprised. Then there are former STASI too. Kick.
Catherina
(35,568 posts)7. There it is! n/t
xchrom
(108,903 posts)10. du rec.