NOVANEWS
ed note–due to the fact that NOTHING new was reported with the ‘revelations’ on the NSA from Edward Snowden, we here at TUT said from the beginning that this was more than likely one of 3 things, or possibly all of them–
1. Netanyahu’s gang putting pressure on Obama due to his intransigence viz a viz Syria and Iran,
or
2. That either (a) Israel was planning another major attack on America which the NSA knew about and was about to reveal publicly, and in order to cut the NSA off at the knees before going public with what would have been devastating information, the ‘Snowden affair’ exploded across the world.
or
3. The NSA had enough proof that Israel was behind the Boston Marathon bombings and was about to go public with it,
or
4. All of the above.
With the news that NSA was indeed monitoring Netanyahu, the above 2 scenarios now are much more believable.
Times of Israel
US and British intelligence agencies spied on the offices of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his predecessor Ehud Olmert, according to documents leaked by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The New York Times, The Guardian and Der Spiegel reported Friday that Olmert, as well as then-defense minister Ehud Barak, were among more than 1,000 high-profile targets of surveillance in more than 60 countries; the documents were dated between 2008 and 2011. Israel’s Ynet added that the surveillance extended to Netanyahu’s office when he took over from Olmert as prime minister in March, 2009.
Working in tandem, the NSA and the British General Communications Headquarters intercepted the communications of “senior European Union officials, foreign leaders including African heads of state and sometimes their family members, directors of United Nations and other relief programs, and officials overseeing oil and finance ministries,” according to The New York Times.
The documents show that the agencies monitored an email address described as “Israeli prime minister.” Olmert, who was filled the top job at the time, in January, 2009, confirmed that the address was used for correspondence with his office, but said that such correspondence was mainly handled by staffers. The same address was used by Netanyahu, Ynet reported (Hebrew).
Olmert described the email address as an “unimpressive target,” saying that it was unlikely any sensitive information was compromised. He added that the most delicate talks with then-US president George W. Bush took place privately, according to the Times report.
The leaked documents also revealed that in February of 2009, spies intercepted the emails of Barak. Ynet reported that the relevant email address in the defense ministry, Minister@mod.gov.il, was used by both Barak and his chief of staff, Yoni Koren, as well as administrative assistants. The address was used also to communicate with other government offices.
The Institute of Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was also reportedly targeted, as were two Israeli embassies.
The interception of Olmert’s email came at a sensitive time, while he was dealing with international condemnation of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, according to the Times. Relations between the US and Israel were also tense, as they are today, over Israel’s preparations for an attack on Iran’s nuclear program. According to the report, the allies were also at odds over cooperation on a wave of cyberattacks against Iran’s major nuclear enrichment facility.
