Originally Posted by dyna mo

former head of French intelligence Bernard Squarcini sounded surprised at the claims that the political class did not know about the snooping.

?I am amazed by such disconcerting naiveté. You?d almost think our politicians don?t bother to read the reports they get from the intelligence services,? he told French newspaper Le Figaro. ?The Americans spy on French commercial and industrial interests, and we do the same to them because it?s in the national interest to protect our companies.?

So while Merkel may be outraged by allegations that the NSA listened in on her conversations, and monitored millions more, she shouldn?t be surprised, according to Professor Antony Glees, director of the Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies at Britain's University of Buckinghamshire.

?This is par for the course,? he said. ?Countries eavesdrop on other countries. If you have Angela Merkel?s telephone number you will listen in to it if you can.?