Perhaps, Americans are proving the proverb that everything is fair in love and war.
JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: Some time back when Wikileaks started spilling beans, for the general public, it was just an authentication of the long perceived views about their political leaders and how they behave and betray their own people. Wikileaks especially targeted Third World leaders’ interaction with a superpower, where these leaders were shown overlooking their respective nations’ interests.
What the proclaimed fugitive and former National Security Analyst (NSA), Edward Snowden, has revealed must not be ignored as it is impacting not only American citizens but its allies as well. As per Germany publication Der Spiegel, the European Union offices were bugged by the NSA. As per a secret document, the NSA described all the 38 European embassies and missions in Washington as “targets”. Not only the US allies across the Atlantic were on the target list, but also America’s partners in Asia — Japan, South Korea, India and Turkey were not spared.
Perhaps, Americans are proving the proverb that everything is fair in love and war. Most European leaders, including from Germany, France and the EU parliament, have outrightly condemned this spying web, recalling the days of the Cold War.
One would understand the anger Americans expressed while blaming China and Russia for conspiring to facilitate Snowden’s exit trail from Hong Kong to Moscow. But how about the distrust it has earned by spying on friends. We understand that nations can go to any extent to protect their interests but then, they should not lecture the whole world on morality and high values. If this issue is not tackled wisely by the Obama Administration, this may become far uglier than the Watergate scandal.
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2013.
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