GOP congressman: "Europe should be grateful for US spying"

Europeans should be grateful for US spying operations because they keep them safe, US lawmakers say.

GOP Congressman Rep. Mike Rogers said that if the French citizens knew the exact nature of the surveillance programmes, they would be applauding and popping champagne corks.

Rep. Peter King also defended the programmes and said that president Obama should stop apologizing about US surveillance practices as the NSA has saved thousands of lives not just in the US but in France, Germany and throughout Europe.

Rogers also suggested that US leaders failed to foresee the rise of fascism and communism in early 20th century Europe because American spies were not spying extensively on European allies' communications.

"In the 1930s, we had this debate before. We decided we were going to turn off our ability to even listen to friends," he said.

"Look what happened in the 30s, the rise of fascism and communism. We didn't see any of it. It resulted in the death of really tens of millions of people."

Wow, just wow. GOP has possibly lost all its credibility in Europe since the Romney campaign and now this...

I agree certain co-operation in surveillance is necessary, although spying for business purposes, listening to leaders and ordinary citizensis is not saving thousands of lives. Letting the French agencys know when some known extremist enters the country is enough. French, Germans or whatever other EU nation is able to continue the surveillance on thei own. Sharing all the information of known terrorists and their associates is what allies should do, rather than spying behind each other backs.

reply to post by Cabin

.."Did not foresee the rise of fascism"..

And it's not fascist to spy on your own population,and even citizens of other countries,reducing them to a life without the possibility of a private conversation between best friends,or parents+children???

This is as rich as a Rothschild

reply to post by Cabin


In other words: "We spy on Europe because they may become our enemies!" and "We love to get in the United Stated the European Funds designed to create jobs in the EU, we love to rob you therough HP, IBM, Exon, Ford, Chevron, Monsanto, etc..."
"We love to win all your bids because we know what the competition is doing and we can blackmail your leaders! "

And by the way, we loved cashibg from Hitler through IBM and others and we needed Pearl Harbour to be able to join the war and cash fat compensations after!

SWIFT will fall first, "Secure Flight Programm" will follow shortly. We are done with that!


"Thousands of lives were saved" - by spying on our politicians? Yeah, right. Merkel calls Al-Qaida routinely and keeps them updated.. Sure.


Yes, we are miffed. No, we are not grateful for "being saved from terrorists" - when asked about the thousands saved, no official could name a single operation or a single terrorist detained in those "operations".

This is a massive fraud! Not only on the europeans, but on all people on earth!

Not only do they want to make it out as if they aren't breaking
who knows how many laws, they want to be thanked for it.....

Right...... lets get right on that.

Thank you dear leaders for stopping the Boston bombing.
Oh wait, we still aren't safe? whats that you say? impossible
to actually make us safe? but but but.... you said.... ugh.

As i have stated many times over, they offer something
they cannot deliver on.

um so it could be appear to some like the american government have become the terrorists ....i wonder why...

reply to post by Cabin

I agree certain co-operation in surveillance is necessary, although spying for business purposes, listening to leaders and ordinary citizensis is not saving thousands of lives.

The problem is...we damn well know...it's not spying to save lives...if they had any desire to save lives...they wouldn't be sending out drones to populated regions.

No my friends. It's not about saving lives...it's about...

spying for business purposes, listening to leaders and ordinary citizens

...and therein lies the whole problem with spying.

reply to post by Cabin


I think he's reminding the European governments that they have used and benefited from the NSA's surveillance in the past for their own domestic circumstances.

reply to post by Cabin


Europe should most definitely not be grateful but that said i do not really understand all this hand wringing here in Europe. The oldest maxim in Intelligence is that you should always spy on your friends first (this goes back to the earliest civilizations) so it is not a surprise.

Will we see the same hand wringing in the US when they find out our spies have been up to the same thing over there? Probably, as we live in an era where instant press coverage means shocked reaction face has to be deployed! Frankly, there is that much spying out there that i am slightly surprised that anything can remain secret anymore!

reply to post by Cabin



I totally agree With you. The Things that NSA are doing today are Beyond reasonable. That being said. I would also like to supply American members (or any other interested members) With the following News. Because the things that EU is now in the process of doing is even worse. I thaught i would inform People as i often tends to belive that americans does not have a Clue of what's happeing in EU.

While European leaders are busy expressing public indignation over reports of American espionage operations in the European Union, the European Parliament is quietly considering a proposal that calls for the direct surveillance of any EU citizen suspected of being “intolerant.”

The new directives (laws) will force the national governments of all 28 EU member states to establish “special administrative units” to monitor any individual or group expressing views that the self-appointed guardians of European multiculturalism deem to be “intolerant”. Thus free speech in a Europe where citizens are already regularly punished for expressing the “wrong” opinions, especially about Islam, will become even more limited.

The proposed European Framework National Statute for the Promotion of Tolerance was recently presented to members of the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, the only directly elected body of the European Union.

If you would like to take a look at what people already gets prosecuted for in the EU today, have a look at this article.

www.gatestoneinstitute.org...

What they will be procecuted for once this Law has passed, i don't even like to think about.

If you would like to read the proposed New Law. You can read the entire thing clickinh here.

www.europarl.europa.eu...

reply to post by Cabin


GOP/DEM; place either one before a name and I bet they have the same response as this nimwit. At least he has the gall to say it (as idiotic as it may be). What amazes me is you think that this line of thinking only occurs on the GOP "side" -- if that is the case, may I introduce you to Senator Diane Fienstien.

A once steadfast and staunch supporter of all things NSA, she finds herself in a precarious position. Support the wholesale spying of friendly nations (and quite embarrassing notion that we are spying on anyone we want and have been for a while), or come out against it; when you were all for it when it was private.

They are all snakes in this, don't let some letter or acronym in front of a name fool ya.