U.S.--GERMAN RELATIONS ARE TOO IMPORTANT TO SQUANDER ON SPY SCANDALS / THE FINANCIAL TIMES COMMENT & ANALYSIS

July 11, 2014 11:59 am

US-German relations are too important to squander on spy scandals

By Norbert Röttgen

Countering today’s geopolitical challenges requires a united front, writes Norbert Röttgen

©Angus Greig

I returned on Thursday from a trip to the US with four other members of the foreign affairs committee of the Bundestag to find the German-American relationship reeling from fresh spying allegations. With new revelations about US surveillance activities targeting Germany, the tone in the German public debate has turned indignant. The fact that the leading US intelligence official in Berlin was subsequently asked to leave the country reflects the extent of disillusionment with American surveillance practices that is felt across Germany.

Many Germans are now calling for a fundamental recalibration of relations with the US. In view of the immense challenges America and Europe face in the international arena, however, such demands are ill-advised. While it is important to talk openly about the latest allegations and the relationships of intelligence services among partners, the debate that must follow should not cast doubt on the viability of the bilateral relationship at a time when more co-operation – not less – is needed. Instead, damage control is now called for.

Following last year’s revelations about American surveillance programmes on German soil, the public outcry was loud. The amount and type of information that National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden was able to expose to a worldwide audience is remarkable. In the Bundestag, a committee to investigate the activities of the NSA was established, and the belief in the willingness of the US administration to examine the activities of its own end maintained.

Now, a year later and faced with yet another surveillance affair, we can see that the US failed to assess correctly the extent of German indignation. Contrary to hopes and expectations, no deeper investigation into the activities at mid-level in US intelligence services followed President Barack Obama’s speech in January on NSA surveillance reforms. In light of the current allegations, the US administration has shown that it has failed to regain control over the activities of its intelligence services – a leadership deficit that Washington, and the transatlantic relationship, cannot afford.

Leadership in this area is necessary, however, because intelligence circles appear at times to lack the political savvy needed to calculate the costs and benefits of certain activities. German intelligence services and their US counterparts have different perceptions of the adequate scope of intelligence activities, and this difference is not only acknowledged but also respected in Germany.

Besides understanding and respect, trust remains the pivotal element on which any relationship is built. What the current revelations show us is that there is a big difference between trust among co-operating intelligence services and trust among states and their elected governments.

Yet trust among intelligence services – or the lack of it – cannot become the standard by which to evaluate the relationship between states such as the US and Germany, important partners in today’s world. Trust at state level remains indispensable because there is no viable alternative to the transatlantic relationship. In their justified attempt to maintain national security, US intelligence services have endangered the fragile state of this alliance in a time when it is as important as ever. This is equally true for those in Germany now calling for equivalent counter-espionage efforts against the US.

Countering today’s challenges requires a united transatlantic front. In Ukraine, the peace and stability we have known in Europe is threatened in a manner not seen since the second world war.

In the Middle East, we are faced with a renewed war and terror emanating from jihadist extremist groups. Not only does surveillance among friends spill over on to our ability to act on the international stage, it is also affecting the success of a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership as a vital geopolitical project. The key is therefore not to overlook misguided intelligence activities; it is to remove stumbling blocks rather than pushing more of them into the road. The German-American relationship, within the framework of the transatlantic partnership, is too crucial to allow these activities to weaken our collaboration and endanger the capacity of this alliance to solve our geopolitical problems.

While calls for full disclosure of surveillance activities are unrealistic, it is now paramount to engage in a continuous intelligence dialogue between the US and Germany to emphasise just how much spying activities can jeopardise the transatlantic relationship. The US policy of non-communication in intelligence matters endangers the transatlantic alliance. Expectations for intelligence co-operation to be shaped transparently among equals cannot easily be met given the global climate of insecurity. 

However, a strong and trusting relationship at government level is possible if both sides now invest the necessary efforts. In doing so, it is more crucial than ever to include the German public, who are increasingly struggling to see the true value of the German-American relationship.


The writer is chairman of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2014.