Add Germany to ‘Five Eyes’ Spy Alliance

Congressmen: Add Germany to ‘Five Eyes’ Spy Alliance

Criticism Could Be Ended by Letting Them In On Surveillance

by Jason Ditz, November 22, 2013

Domestic criticism of the NSA surveillance scandals has been a headache for the Obama Administration, but international outrage is the bigger problem, and one that threatens to stand in the way of other diplomatic deals, particularly where Germany is concerned.

A country with a long history of surveillance abuses, Germans are understandably up in arms about being targeted. Congressmen see an easy solution to the issue, however: just let Germany in on it.

Right now the UKUSA Agreement covers five members. Dubbed the “Five Eyes,” they include Britain, the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia, who have agreed to cooperate in the global surveillance schemes.

The Congressmen are presenting the addition of Germany as a “sixth eye” as something that could “extend an already strong relationship,” but its more straightforward than that.

The other “eyes” of this pact have been in on this surveillance for decades, and have mostly shrugged off the international outcry. Adding the German government to the conspiracy of the surveillors is just a chance to distance a potentially powerful critic from the rest of the surveillees.

http://news.antiwar.com/2013/11/22/congressmen-add-germany-to-five-eyes-spy-alliance/