National Intelligence Director Denies Allegations of Phone-Tapping in France

[Eugene]

Source: TIME

National Intelligence Director Denies Allegations of Phone-Tapping in France

By Charlotte Alter Oct. 23, 2013

The director of national intelligence dismissed accusations Tuesday night that the National Security Agency listened in on 70 million French phone calls in a 30-day period.

James Clapper denied the eavesdropping, which was initially reported in the French newspaper Le Monde, calling the allegations “misleading” and “false,” the New York Times reports. The revelations came from documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor now charged with espionage and theft for leaking confidential documents about the scope of NSA surveillance.

France is just the latest American ally to express outrage over revelations that the NSA used electronic surveillance within their borders. Mexico, Germany and Brazil are already upset about allegations of spying within their borders.

Le Monde also reported that information learned through wiretapping had played a “big role” in helping the United States secure a crucial vote in favor of a 2010 United Nations resolution to impose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

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Read more: http://world.time.com/2013/10/23/national-intelligence-director-denies-allegations-of-phone-tapping-in-france/

[1-Old-Man]

1. First thing I noticed was that he denied the level of taps, not that there were or weren't taps.

What he denied was that we had done 70 million taps, not that we were or were not doing taps. For all we know the NSA was doing 700 million taps a month in France not 70, and that is why he said the claim was inaccurate.