German Officials Respond To ‘Cold War’ Type Spying By NSA

German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger on Sunday said the United States has been engaging in “Cold War” methods against the European Union. The top German officials statement was made after Edward Snowden revealed documents in which the United States was accused of spying on diplomats in Washington, D.C., and around the world.

In a report by German news weekly Der Spiegel, it was claimed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) eavesdropped on EU offices in Washington, New York, and Brussels. The report arrives by way of classified US documents.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger reveals, “If the media reports are accurate, then this recalls the methods used by enemies during the Cold War.”

The German Justice then adds: “It is beyond comprehension that our friends in the United States see Europeans as enemies.”

German officials are now calling for an “immediate and comprehensive” response from top US agents.

The Der Spiegel report claims that the NSA planted bugs in the diplomatic offices and also hacked computer networks in various locations. The NSA at one point reportedly dialed into a telephone maintenance system at NATO headquarters so it could intercept messages form senior EU officials and monitor internet traffic.

The German newspaper didn’t publish the NSA documents, and it didn’t cite where those documents were obtained. Most likely the NSA documents were provided by way of Edward Snowden, the NSA leaker who is now on the run from US officials.

Officials in the United States have defended the practice, claiming that it has helped stop at least 30 major plots of terrorism.

US officials have not yet responded to Germany’s claims of Cold War type spying.

Do you think the NSA has gone too far in spying on American citizens and foreign powers?