Intelligence

Why Would Anyone Want to Tap Angela Merkel's Phone?

Benjamin Wittes
Wednesday, March 19, 2014, 11:11 AM
From the New York Times a few days ago: "Since the first Russian forces infiltrated Crimea on Feb. 28, Ms. Merkel, 59, has spoken to Mr. Putin, 61, at least four times on the phone, her spokesman says." Hard to imagine why any intelligence agency would want coverage of German leadership telephones.

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From the New York Times a few days ago: "Since the first Russian forces infiltrated Crimea on Feb. 28, Ms. Merkel, 59, has spoken to Mr. Putin, 61, at least four times on the phone, her spokesman says." Hard to imagine why any intelligence agency would want coverage of German leadership telephones.

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Benjamin Wittes is editor in chief of Lawfare and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of several books.

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