NSA Global SIGINT Highlights
Merkel Bugged While Pondering Greece Crisis
WikiLeaks release: July 1, 2015
This is a highly sensitive Top Secret US National Security Agency (NSA) report on intercepted German government communication between Chancellor Angela Merkel and her personal assistant on 11 October 2011. The report, dating from 2011, summarises Merkel's intercepted observations concerning the Greek financial crisis, and the viability of various approaches to the crisis favoured by the principal Troika leaders: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Central Bank (ECB) President Jean-Claude Trichet, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde. The report demonstrates keen American intelligence interest in European leadership plans for dealing with the Greek financial crisis. The report has been marked as "REL TO USA, FVEY" meaning that it was intended to be circulated to the intelligence services not only of the United States but also to its "Five Eyes" partners in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Description
Eurozone Crisis: Merkel Uncertain on Solution to Greek Problems, Would Press U.S. and UK (TSS!"G#C$E% T# US&, 'E)*(TSS!"G#C$E% T# US&, 'E)* +iscussin t-e Greek inancial crisis /it- -er 0ersonal assistant on 11 #ctober, German C-ancellor &nela Merkel 0roessed to be at a loss as to /-ic- o0tion""anot-er -aircut or a transer union""/ould be best or addressin t-e situation. (T-e term 2-aircut2 reers to t-e losses t-at 0ri3ate in3estors /ould incur on t-e current net 3alue o t-eir Greek bond -oldins.* Merkel4s ear /as t-at &t-ens /ould be unable to o3ercome its 0roblems e3en /it- an additional -aircut, since it /ould not be able to -andle t-e remainin debt. 'urt-ermore, s-e doubted t-at sendin inancial e50erts to Greece /ould be o muc- -el0 in brinin t-e inancial s6stem t-ere under control. Wit-in t-e German cabinet, 'inance Minister Wolan Sc-naeuble alone continued to stronl6 back anot-er -aircut, des0ite Merkel4s eorts to rein -im in, /-ile 'rance and Euro0ean Commission President 7ose Manuel 8arroso /ere seen to be in a3or o a entler a00roac-. Euro0ean Central 8ank President 7ean"Claude Tric-et /as solidl6 o00osed, /it- !M' Manain +irector C-ristine %aarde described as undecided on t-e issue. 'inall6, Merkel belie3ed t-at action must be taken to enact a 'inancial Transaction Ta5 ('TT*9 doin so ne5t 6ear, s-e assessed, /ould be a maor ste0 to/ard ac-ie3in some balance in relie or banks. !n t-at reard, t-e Germans t-ou-t t-at 0ressure could be brou-t to bear on t-e U.S. and 8ritis- o3ernments to -el0 brin about an 'TT. Uncon3entional German leaders-i0 G##;<=>=<"11, 1?1@;>A
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