Keep your friends close...

[Gob]

The US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande in 2006-12, WikiLeaks says.



The whistleblower website cites "top secret intelligence reports and technical documents" from the NSA. The US declined to comment, while Mr Hollande planned a defence council meeting on the issue for Wednesday, an aide told the AFP news agency. The NSA was earlier accused of spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

On Tuesday, Wikileaks said it began publishing the files under the heading "Espionnage Elysee" - a reference to the French presidential palace. It said the secret files "derive from directly targeted NSA surveillance of the communications" of the three French presidents as well as French ministers and the ambassador to the US. One of the files, dated 2012, is about Mr Hollande discussing Greece's possible exit from the eurozone, while another one - from 2011 - alleges that Mr Sarkozy was determined to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, possibly without US involvement.

It is unclear whether the material comes from data stolen by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the BBC's security correspondent Gordon Corera says. The WikiLeaks files have now been published by France's Liberation daily and the Mediapart investigative website. In response to the alleged leaks, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said: "We are not going to comment on specific intelligence allegations. "As a general matter, we do not conduct any foreign intelligence surveillance activities unless there is a specific and validated national security purpose. This applies to ordinary citizens and world leaders alike."

Separately, the French presidential aide told AFP that Mr Hollande would hold a defence council meeting "to evaluate the nature of the information published by the press on Tuesday evening and to draw useful conclusions".

[BoSoxGal]

Everyone knows you can't trust the French.

Freedom fries!!

Freedom toast!!!

[MajGenl.Meade]

The US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande in 2006-12, WikiLeaks says.

[rubato]

Along with Angela merely and whatever obedient little poodle we had in #10.

The British make such loyal servants.


Yrs,
Rubato

[Gob]

Oh god, he's trying again, isn't he...

[rubato]

So docile and quite devoid of any will of their own.


Yrs,
Rubato

[Gob]

Yes dear, well done.

[BoSoxGal]

Get a room.

[Gob]

Fuck off.

[Gob]

Bitch slapped by the French.... Oh my....

President Obama has assured his French counterpart Francois Hollande that the US is no longer spying on France.

Mr Obama spoke to Mr Hollande following reports on the Wikileaks website that the US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on successive French presidents. The White House said after the two leaders' phone call "we are not targeting and will not target" Mr Hollande's communications. French intelligence officials are due to travel to Washington for more talks.

Wikileaks reported that the NSA had intercepted communications from President Francois Hollande and former leaders Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac between 2006-12. The allegations prompted a backlash from the French government, with Mr Hollande saying he would "not tolerate" acts that threaten France's security. He called two emergency meetings, the first with France's top security officials and another with leading legislators.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged the US to quickly repair "damage" to its relationship with France. The US Ambassador Jane Hartley was also summoned to the foreign ministry in Paris to discuss the latest claims, French officials said.

[BoSoxGal]

Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged the US to quickly repair "damage" to its relationship with France.

The prime minister reminded the U.S. that with ever worsening drought conditions in California, the U.S. will again be forced to turn to France for a decent swill in years to come - lest we be left to gargle Ozzie wines instead!

[Lord Jim]

President Obama has assured his French counterpart Francois Hollande that the US is no longer spying on France.

Hmmm...

Well, not exactly:

Mr Obama spoke to Mr Hollande following reports on the Wikileaks website that the US National Security Agency (NSA) spied on successive French presidents. The White House said after the two leaders' phone call "we are not targeting and will not target" Mr Hollande's

Not "targeting" is not the same thing as not "spying"....

And of course we should use all national technical means at our disposal to gather intel related to our friends as well as our enemies...(nothing against them personally, but one never knows what one might learn about someone in their entourage...)

And frankly they know and expect that we are doing it; (they do as much of the same that they can do to us, though they don't have as sweeping technical expertise)

They just have to pull the "What?! There's gambling going on here?!" routine and wax indignant for the consumption of their domestic audiences when it gets publicity....

[dgs49]

No harm; no foul.

We should be using every tool we have to learn all we can about events that can affect our national interests. Although I am generally loathe to use this expression, "Everybody does it." We are just a bit better than some (but not all).

[oldr_n_wsr]

I would hope the NSA spies on other leaders/countries. it would be wrong for them to limit their spying to just the citizens of the USA.

[Big RR]

oldr

[Gob]

The Wikileaks website says it has evidence that a number of senior Brazilian government officials were routinely spied on by the National Security Agency in the United States.

It says the NSA was particularly active in economic espionage against Brazil.

Wikileaks published a list of 29 phone numbers of Brazilians in banking, finance and the economy.

According to the website the espionage apparently began in early 2011 or even earlier.

President Dilma Rousseff cancelled a state visit to Washington two years ago when former CIA contractor Edward Snowden revealed that her phones and emails were being spied on.

"The publication proves that not only President Dilma Rousseff was targeted but also her assistant, her secretary, her chief of staff [former Finance Minister Antonio Palocci], her palace office and even the phone in her presidential jet," said WikiLeaks.

"Even on her official travels, President Rousseff is not safe from interception," the group added.

[oldr_n_wsr]

Brazil should be honored that we consider them important enough to spy on.