US spying has ‘nothing to do with terrorism’

Following successive allegations of US spying on its allies in Europe, activist journalist Glenn Greenwald says the US surveillance operations are about power, not anti-terrorist operations. Greenwald , a former reporter of the Guardian, broke stories of secret American intelligence operations based on leaked documents from former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. Early on, the US government had defended its surveillance operations, saying it has thwarted many terrorist plots. But recent news reports said the US allegedly tapped the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and recorded phone calls in France and Spain. In an interview with CNN, Greenwald said the US spying system is “largely devoted not to terrorists but is directed at innocent people around the world.” He added, “This is clearly about political power and economic espionage, and the claim that this is all about terrorism is seen around the world as what it is, which is pure deceit.”

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