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The Diplomatic Fallout Of Spying On World Leaders

caption: Today is the second summit day in Brussels for the European Union Council. NSA spying has been a key topic of discussion.
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Today is the second summit day in Brussels for the European Union Council. NSA spying has been a key topic of discussion.
Flickr Photo/President of the European Council

Reports that the United States has been spying on our European allies has caused outrage in the region. According to documents leaked to The Guardian by former National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden, the NSA has monitored the phone conversations of up to 35 world leaders.

The European Union held a council meeting yesterday and today in Brussels. The original purpose of the meeting was to discuss the economy and job growth, but that was quickly overshadowed by talk of security and trust. Allies spying on allies is nothing new, so why the anger about the revelations? Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, explains why this time is different and what the diplomatic fallout will be for the United States.

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