German Federal Police Helicopter Circles US Consulate 239
New submitter mwissel writes "The German Federal Police ('Bundespolizei') had sent out an helicopter in late August to fly over the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt and take photos from only 60 meters height — reportedly to search for spy antennae and other espionage related equipment on the building rooftops. A government spokesmen more or less confirmed the purpose of the flight, and it is said that Merkel's chief of staff, Ronald Pofalla, gave the order. This is remarkable, because Pofalla so far stood out with a very U.S.-friendly attitude in the debate around NSA surveillance programs. There was, of course, no word about any findings. It also remains unclear whether this was just plain provocation or a PR-stunt for the upcoming federal elections in Germany on September 22nd."
But of course (Score:5, Insightful)
This is remarkable, because Pofalla so far stood out with a very U.S.-friendly attitude in the debate around NSA surveillance programs.
I.e. no problem, so long as we aren't spying on him.
What's a spy antanna look like? (Score:5, Insightful)
How is one meant for spying different from any other type of antenna?
I realize there are different antennas for different frequency...
Unless of course there are ones that are only made for those frequencies used for espionage and not anything else... "Is this optimally made for listening to encrypted transmissions and not broadcast radio or TV signals?"
Hopefully, Fry's has them on sale in the espionage section.
We trust the American people... (Score:3, Insightful)
We trust the American people... it's just your damn government we have a problem with.
Re:Of course it's a PR stunt (Score:5, Insightful)
You realize every country in the world uses its embassies as the central headquarters for their intelligence apparatus in that country. So you know that row of embassies in Washington? Every single one of them does the exact same things or tries to. They're just not as good at it.
Re:This article caused me to have a vision : (Score:5, Insightful)
They fucked Greece over by loaning them 100.000.000.000 euro that everybody knows will never be repaid? Greece has been fucked over by the Greeks. If they have a problem with the terms and conditions of the rescue package then they are free to refuse the money.
Re:But of course (Score:5, Insightful)
Trolling or genuine, who knows?
Seriously though, if we take your argument at face value, we're forced to ask; who gets to police us? Also, who made our judgements the so-called correct ones? And how can we actually claim authority over international morality when we're pretty much assholes, and do pretty much everything we condemn in others?
Re:But of course (Score:5, Insightful)
Believe me, the world needs a cop. And Americans make the best ones. If not for American occupation, Europe would still be in a constant state of war. And the Soviet Union did its part also, even if they are a bit hamfisted about it. I, for one, am very happy to see somebody enforcing some law and order on the planet. I don't think you understand the condition we would be in without it. American power is keeping the peace. You should be very grateful that you can sleep as comfortably as you do.
Americans aren't enforcing law and order on the planet. They are enforcing law and order when it suits them for their economical and geopolitical interests. It's just manipulative police, nothing to do with law and order.
"an helicopter"!? (Score:2, Insightful)
"an helicopter"? How far can this idiocy of putting "an" in front of any word beginning with h go?
It's "a helicopter".
Re:Of course it's a PR stunt (Score:5, Insightful)
Germany has a very advanced military, it could certainly get photos of the roof of a building more covertly than sending out a helicopter and making a public statement.
It is time someone made a public statement. No one seems to understand what this NSA spying means. I have yet to see anyone address the most troubling aspect of the NSA spying. The present, in power President has now got 100% access to all information about the opposition party. He can read their mail, listen in on all calls he has access to all confidential data from reporters, judges, congressmen and senators. How can his party lose? The only information the party in power does not have is mouth to ear communication and snail mail. This is equivelant to high tech WaterGate times 1000. At the close of the Constitutional Convention, Ben Franklin said "You have a Republic, if you can keep it". I'm sorry to say this but "We had a Republic, but it appears that we have indeed lost it". The U. S. government can not function when one political party has all the phones tapped and reads everyone's email. That is why we used to have a fourth amendment.
Re:But of course (Score:5, Insightful)
It's just manipulative police, nothing to do with law and order.
So ... just like the police then, eh?
Re:We trust the American people... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Parlament election (Score:4, Insightful)
This.
It also remains unclear
Uh, no it doesn't. The current ruling coalition is not guaranteed to continue having the majority after the election. We will most likely keep our mother-troll, mostly because she spent the last 10 years wiping out everyone who could challenge her within her own party, but it's unclear if they can rule with their favorite coalition partner or someone else.
Of course this was a publicity stunt. Ponfalla is not in the business of stuff like this unless it is of personal important to the government.
Re:Of course it's a PR stunt (Score:5, Insightful)
Wrong. Read the Vienna Convention if you are seriously interested in it. Espionage from the embassy building is explicitly forbidden. And the belief that the embassy is US territory is very much wrong. All that the Vienna Convention says is that the embassy and all the property belonging to it are immune to search or seizure, and that agents of the host country may not enter without consent of the embassy staff, that's it.
Re:Of course it's a PR stunt (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Of course it's a PR stunt (Score:3, Insightful)
Yep and also the Consulate is legally US territory anyway so they can put what the hell they like on the roof.
They can't. According to German law, any act happens in the country where it takes effect. Putting up an antenna that illegally monitors radio traffic on German territory takes effect on German territory and therefore is a crime that would be prosecuted in Germany. In other words, the people responsible better not leave their consulate without diplomatic immunity.
Re:But of course (Score:4, Insightful)
Most countries don't try to police the world.
Certainly not the Germans...
That's a good point actually. The Germans, The British empire, the Ottoman empire, The Roman Empire, and many others, either learned from their mistakes or fell apart. The lesson is you can beat down all comers for a while but you can't do it forever. This is the lesson the US Empire is going to learn.
Re:This article caused me to have a vision : (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, Greece has been fucked over by the Greek government and the complicity of Wall Street. When joining the euro, Wall Street (Goldman Sachs, mainly) actively helped the government conceal the level of debt (which would disqualify them from being in the euro). The eurozone didn't do their full due diligence due to the breathless headlong rush to get the Euro under way, making it ridiculously easy for the Greeks to hide their debt problem.
And now it has come back to bite the eurozone (and the Greeks much harder) on the ass.