Strains in US-German Ties
-Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal
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Escalation
of terror wars on the one hand and extension of surveillance operations beyond
USA into Russia, China, third world nations, like India and
Pakistan, Europe, especially the EU leader Germany, have gone
on secretly for years even before Sept-11 hoax but Sept-II
hoax provided the needed excuse for Washington to legitimize
illegal spying and to undertake extensive spy operations in Europe and
Germany got offended and openly condemned the CIA high handedness
with regard to close allies.
EU
leader Germany and the world’s only super power USA, that have been
collaborating for years, prompting capitalism and NATO fascism, are
sliding into a political crisis over US illegal spy operations in
Germany. That has snowballed into hitherto unknown dimensions that an
American intelligence service led a BND employee as a double agent.
Recently,
a 31-year-old employee of the German foreign intelligence service (BND) was
arrested and later that evening made a comprehensive confession to the Federal
Prosecutor in Karlsruhe about his involvement in passing on internal documents
of the BND to the CIA for money. Allegedly he contacted the US Embassy in
Berlin via email at the end of 2012 to offer his services. Since then he has
passed on more than 200 documents classified “confidential” to “top secret” to
the CIA in return for €25,000.
It
was first reported that the spy had concentrated on obtaining information on
the German parliamentary committee currently investigating the activities of US
intelligence agencies in Germany, but later it was found he was involved in
more serious spy operations from Munich. On May 28 he contacted the Russian
Consulate in Munich by email to offer his services to Russia.
In
comparison to the monitoring activities revealed by Edward Snowden, the latest
spy case is rather small scale.
The
political reaction in Berlin has been fierce. Many German leaders wonder as to
why the German partner service was infiltrated by USA. Most media outlets in
Germany appealed to the federal government to finally put an end to its
“fawning diplomacy” toward Washington. On 4th of July, the American national
holiday, US Ambassador John Emerson was summoned to the German Foreign
Ministry. Obviously, a stern must have been served on Washington. Foreign
Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the US government to carry out the
fastest possible clarification of the matter, warning: “In their own interest,
the United States should obey their duty to participate.”
German
Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s government is now busy discussing the planning of
countermeasures. In future, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière would
seek to monitor the communications of the United States and other allied
countries, such as Britain and France, by German intelligence agencies.
Speaking in Beijing, she accused US intelligence services of a breach of trust.
She spoke of “a very serious event,” which clearly contradicted her
understanding of cooperation based on trust.
There
is a consensus that a return to a more active imperialist German foreign policy
can only take place together with, and not against the United States. However,
the objective logic of this policy inevitably leads to conflicts over economic
and geopolitical interests. Since the current government came to office late
last year, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Defense Minister Ursula
von der Leyen, and President Joachim Gauck have intensively promoted a more
active role for Germany in world politics and a revival of German militarism.
The debacle of US policy in
Iraq has led to ever louder calls for German leadership. In addition, German
government and economic circles are perturbed by America’s confrontational
course towards China. China is one of the most important markets for German
industrial products and investments, and 2,500 German companies have invested
around €40 billion in the country.
German business circles
have also rejected US calls for economic sanctions against Russia. This
question has split the EU, and Germany cannot hold the union together if it
continues to unconditionally follow the American line. While Poland and other
Eastern European states are calling for a tougher line against Moscow, Italy,
which has just taken over the EU Presidency, France and other countries oppose
such a confrontation.
At the end of June, the
Austrian government even warmly welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin in
Vienna to sign a contract on the South Stream pipeline, which the US is
determined to sabotage.
There is a vigorous debate
in German ruling circles about the country’s relationship with the United
States. An article under the headline “The question of Alliance” discusses
whether a greater distance to the US and a closer relationship to Russia are
desirable. The article advocates a more active geopolitical role for Germany
and claims: “The demand for more German responsibility is unanimous abroad.”
The article concludes that “to break the alliance to the West [is] not an
option,” but nevertheless “Germany could make itself more independent of the
US.” Germany has “grown up in the last twenty years. Germany can lead Europe to
an independent political role.” For America, such a Germany “might not be an
easy partner, but in the end it is more of a relief than a threat.” A survey
indicated that many Germans favor greater independence from the United States
and increased cooperation with Russia. Germans want their government to be more
assertive with USA.
Germany in recent years has
reservations with USA over certain important issues like the illegal war in
Iraq, Guantanamo, the executions with drones, the financial crisis, the NSA,
the fear of Google, among others.
Previously, the German
chancellery had instructed German intelligence agencies not to spy on the
country’s NATO allies. German
Interior Minister now seeks to counter by having the German secret services spy
on the United States.
The
BND and the US secret services work so closely together that one wonders what
secrets were left to reveal. BND President Gerhard Schindler defended his
agency’s cooperation with the NSA as indispensable. His remark came on the
heels of revelations that between 2004 and 2007, the BND had delivered huge
amounts of raw data collected at an Internet node based in Frankfurt to the
NSA. The ties between the two agencies were so strong that the BND could
be called “the appendix of the NSA.”
The
NSA and other US intelligence agencies spy on millions of people in Germany
illegally, have tapped the Chancellor’s cell phone, and continue to monitor
government communications. Nevertheless, the federal government has
consistently tried to downplay these issues.
Germany
is deeply perturbed that the intense spying on Germany by its major ally the
United States has no justification or legitimacy. The fierce reaction to
the unmasking of even a relatively low ranking agent indicates a change in
direction of German foreign policy.
The growing crisis of
global capitalism has exacerbated tensions and international conflicts. The
increasing tensions between Germany and the United States, which fought each
other in two world wars, is also the result of steady arms build ups in USA and
Europe.
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