Open Letter: Editorial: Dear The United States Ambassador to Japan Her Excellency Ms. Caroline Kennedy

Open Letter: Editorial: Dear The United States Ambassador to Japan Her Excellency Ms. Caroline Kennedy

 

Dear The United States Ambassador to Japan Her Excellency Ms. Caroline Kennedy

 

We sincerely welcome you to visit The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

Japan and The United States have faced many challenges in negotiating on the areas of foreign, security, defense, diplomacy, and economic policy.

 

However, we hope that you as The United States Her Excellency Ambassador to Japan will exert your ability with exceptional insight and in the spirit of humanism to reconstruct The United States-Japan relationship.

 

We want multi-layered and sustainable relations backed up by mutual trust between both peoples, without overemphasis on military.

 

We have a strong desire to share the universal values of freedom, democracy and mutual respect for basic human rights with American people.

 

Negative examples

 

During the 68 years since the end of World War II, The United States has been a teacher of democracy for the people of The Kingdom of Ryukyu both through positive and negative examples.

 

Young people of the time, who had studied in The United States after the war, praised the democracy.

 

Many of their generations were inspired to become ‘militarism boys’ through education.

 

However, after completing their study in The United States inspired by the hope of democracy, they made use of their knowledge and experience to promote higher education and reconstruct The Kingdom of Ryukyu society.

 

Meanwhile, it was The United States that captured their land from the residents at Isabama and Iejima “by bulldozers and bayonets” to construct the base in the early postwar period.

 

Such conduct violated Article 46 of the Hague Convention stating that private property cannot be confiscated.

 

Before the war, people lived their lives in the place where The United States Marine Corps Futenma Air Station is located.

 

There were schools, a village office and agricultural land.

 

We want Her Excellency The United States Ambassador to understand this abnormal history and accept the reality that The United States Government operates a military base in an area where it drove out civilians.

 

The Governments of Japan and The United States say they will move forward with the plan to relocate the Futenma base to Henoko, Nago, under an agreement reached in 2006.

 

MV-22 Osprey aircraft plagued with a history of serious accidents will station permanently at the new base and fighter aircraft will regularly use it, if it completed.

 

The Kingdom of Ryukyu people are concerned that the human rights, life and property of residents living in the northern region, will forever be compromised as they will be exposed to noise pollution and the risk of an accident.

 

Believed to be the origin of the mermaid legend, Dugongs live in the sea where coral reefs spread, off the Henoko district.

 

The Dugong is listed “1A” as critically endangered in Japanese Red List published by the Ministry of Environment.

 

Her Excellency The United States Ambassador to Japan tweeted recently, commenting that The United States Government opposes drive hunt fishing.

 

While most readers responded favorably with grateful hearts to you on Twitter in English, there were many dissenting voices tweeting in Japanese that said Dolphin fishing is a part of the life and tradition of residents in their community.

 

You expressed that you were deeply concerned by the inhumaneness of drive hunt Dolphin killing.

 

Then is it not inhumane to pose a threat to the habitat of the Dugongs by destroying their feeding grounds ?

 

Currently, in your nation and many other regions, American organisations are providing shelter and sanctuary for Manatees, which are internationally protected members of the Dugong family.

 

The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helps rescue Manatees and transports them to rehabilitation facilities in Florida.

 

They have a network of expert organizations, including biologists, to save Manatees.

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has made recommendations to protect the Dugongs of Henoko three times.

 

We hope you will accept the recommendations to save this endangered species.

 

Open the door to create new friendship

 

Ryukyu Shimpo wrote an editorial published on November 24, 1963, to mourn the departure of soul of your father, the 35th President of The United States John Fitzgerald Kennedy, after he was tragically killed by an assassin’s bullets.

 

It reads: “President Kennedy struggled mightily to resolve both the international and internal issues such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Limited Test Ban Treaty and racial discrimination. He showed his ability to take action, determination and contribution to resolve the problems as the greatest leader of our age with passion and wisdom.”

 

The departure of soul of the standard-bearer of the New Frontier spirit was a great shock for the people of The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

With the sense of responsibility coming from your father, would you open the door to create new friendship between The United States and The Kingdom of Ryukyu, and put an end to the military colonial rule in The Kingdom of Ryukyu ?

 

We hope that your visit to The Kingdom of Ryukyu will help change the policy and allow The Government to abandon the relocation plan to Henoko and to move the Futenma base outside The Kingdom of Ryukyu.

 

(English translation by T&CT)

 

(Ryukyu Shimpo, 11 Tuesday February 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Morgan Stanley to pay $1.25 bn in mortgage settlement

Morgan Stanley to pay $1.25 bn in mortgage settlement

 

New York (AFP)

 

US banking giant Morgan Stanley Tuesday said it agreed to pay $1.25 billion to settle charges that it misled investors on the sale of mortgage-backed securities ahead of the housing bust.

 

Morgan Stanley will boost its legal reserves by $150 million to pay out the settlement to the US Federal Housing Finance Agency, Morgan Stanley said in a securities filing.

 

The settlement marks the latest big government agreement with a US banking giant in the aftermath of the housing bust.

 

In November, JPMorgan Chase agreed to a $13 billion settlement on mortgage-backed securities.

 

Bank Of America and Goldman Sachs have also announced big settlements.

 

The settlement resolves a September 2011 suit in which the FHFA, the conservator of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, alleged that Morgan Stanley made "untrue statements and material omissions" in the sale of about $11 billion in worth of mortgage security securities, Morgan Stanley said in a 2013 securities filing.

 

Tuesday's securities filing described the deal as "an agreement in principle" and said it is still subject to "final approval" by the parties.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 5 Wednesday February 2014 The Roman)

Yahoo Mail accounts breached with stolen passwords

Yahoo Mail accounts breached with stolen passwords

 

San Francisco (AFP)

 

Yahoo alerted users of its free email service Thursday that hackers slipped into accounts to loot information using stolen passwords.

 

The California company did not disclose the extent of the breach, but said that it is asking those affected to change their passwords.

 

"Security attacks are unfortunately becoming a more regular occurrence," Yahoo senior vice president for platforms and personalization products Jay Rossiter said in a blog post.

 

"We regret this has happened and want to assure our users that we take the security of their data very seriously."

 

A malicious computer program armed with Yahoo Mail passwords and usernames apparently slipped into accounts aiming to glean names and addresses from messages that had been sent, according to Rossiter.

 

Yahoo recently discovered the invasion and suspected that the passwords were snatched from a third-party database that the company did not disclose.

 

"We have no evidence that they were obtained directly from Yahoo's systems," Rossiter said.

 

Yahoo said it was working with federal authorities to investigate the breach.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

 

Navy admiral to run US spy agency NSA

Navy admiral to run US spy agency NSA

 

Vice Admiral Rogers' appointment comes amid pressure on the NSA after revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

 

[caption id="attachment_11567" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Vice Admiral Michael S. Rogers was trained as a intelligence cryptologist [US Navy/File])[/caption] 

President Barack Obama has nominated a US Navy officer, Vice Admiral Michael Rogers, to take over as head of the National Security Agency (NSA) that has recently come under fire over its practises.

 

"This is a critical time for the NSA, and Vice Admiral Rogers would bring extraordinary and unique qualifications to this position as the agency continues its vital mission and implements President Obama's reforms," Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, who recommended Rogers for the post, said in a statement on Thursday.

 

Rogers would also take over as head of the military's Cyber Warfare Command.

 

Rogers, 53, would take the helm at a difficult moment for the spy agency, which has been rocked by former analyst Edward Snowden's disclosures of its secret surveillance programmes that collect phone and internet data around the world and now faces enormous pressure to change its ways.

 

Spy agency reforms

 

In response to the furore triggered by the leaks, Obama proposed reforms to rein in the NSA's spying authority in some areas.

 

Hagel said he was "confident that Admiral Rogers has the wisdom to help balance the demands of security, privacy and liberty in our digital age".

 

Rogers, who trained as an intelligence cryptologist and is a former intelligence director for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, would succeed General Keith Alexander, who has served in the top job since 2005, and plans to retire mid-March.

 

He currently heads the US Fleet Cyber Command, overseeing the navy's cyber warfare specialists.

 

In more than 30 years in the Navy, Rogers has worked in cryptology, eavesdropping or "signals intelligence" and cyber warfare.

 

Like Alexander, the naval officer would not only run the powerful NSA but would also serve as chief of the US military's Cyber Command.

 

Obama has decided to keep the "dual-hatted" arrangement, even though some top officials recommended splitting up the two jobs.

 

The president has rejected suggestions to name a civilian as NSA director.

 

(Source: Agencies)

 

(Al Jazeera, 30 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Hungría asegura haber sido víctima de las escuchas de la NSA Hungary claims to have been the victim of NSA tracks

Hungría asegura haber sido víctima de las escuchas de la NSA

 

(AFP)

 

[caption id="attachment_11560" align="alignnone" width="512"] (El primer ministro húngaro, Viktor Orban, da una rueda de prensa en el Parlamento, en Budapest, el 29 de miércoles de enero de 2014 la Roman (AFP, Attila Kisbenedek)) (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives a press conference in the Parliament in Budapest on 29 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman (AFP, Attila Kisbenedek))[/caption]

 

Budapest — Hungría aseguró este jueves que había sido víctima de las escuchas de EEUU y amenazó con posibles cambios "profundos" en sus relaciones con Washington.

 

"Es evidente que el servicio de inteligencia estadounidense posee informaciones sobre Hungría", declaró ante la prensa el secretario de Estado, Janos Lazar.

 

"El escándalo de las escuchas estadounidenses podría modificar profundamente la naturaleza de las relaciones entre Hungría y EEUU", añadió Lazar, encargado del gabinete del primer ministro, Viktor Orban.

 

El ministro húngaro de Asuntos Exteriores, Janos Martonyi, dijo por su parte que esperaba "poder restablecer el nivel de confianza" entre Hungría y EEUU, dos países "aliados" y "amigos".

 

Ambas autoridades hicieron estas declaraciones tras una reunión de la comisión parlamentaria creada para estudiar las eventuales actividades en Hungría de la Agencia Nacional de Seguridad (NSA) estadounidense, encargada de interceptar comunicaciones.

 

La comisión, cuyos debates son confidenciales, se estableció en diciembre, después de que salieran a la luz las revelaciones del exagente de la NSA Edward Snowden.

 

La próxima embajadora estadounidense en Budapest, Colleen Bell, ya ha sido convocada a declarar ante la comisión.

 

El programa de espionaje de la NSA y las protestas que desencadenó su revelación en Europa serán tratadas en la 50ª Conferencia de Seguridad de Múnich, que reunirá a finales de semana en el sur de Alemania a los nombres principales de la defensa y la diplomacia.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. Todos los derechos reservados.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 30 Thursday January 2014 The Roman)

 

 

Hungary claims to have been the victim of NSA tracks

 

(AFP)

 

Budapest - Hungary said Thursday they was the victim of tracks the United States and threatened with possible "profound" changes in its relations with Washington.

 

"It is clear that  the United States intelligence has information on Hungary," he told the press secretary of state, Janos Lazar.

 

"The scandal of the United States tracks could profoundly change the nature of relations between Hungary and  the United States," said Lazar, head of the cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

 

Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said on his part that he hoped "to restore the level of trust" between Hungary and  the United States, two countries "allies" and "friends".

 

Both officials were speaking after a meeting of the committee set up to study the possible activities in Hungary of  the United States National Security Agency (NSA), responsible for intercepting communications.

 

The commission, whose proceedings are confidential, was established in December, after which came to light of the revelations of the NSA exagente Edward Snowden.

 

The next  the United States ambassador to Budapest, Colleen Bell, has been called to testify before the commission.

 

The spy program of the NSA and the protests that triggered disclosure in Europe will be discussed at the 50th Security Conference in Munich, who meet later this week in southern Germany to the leading names of the defense and diplomacy.

 

Copyright © 2014 AFP. All rights reserved.

 

(Agence France- Presse, Thursday 30 January 2014 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 31 Friday January 2014 The Roman)

NSA and Obama: Yes, We Can

NSA and Obama: Yes, We Can

 

Why is President Obama so permissive with regard to excesses of US intelligence apparatus?

 

Stephan Richter

 

Stephan Richter is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Globalist, the daily online magazine, and a columnist in newspapers around the world.

 

[caption id="attachment_11470" align="alignnone" width="680"] (NSA’s goal to make the US 'safe' is not deliverable and comes at great cost [Getty])[/caption] 

Few of his supporters would have ever thought that Barack Obama's famous 2008 presidential campaign slogan would end up turning into the collective mantra of the US intelligence community during his term in office.

 

But here we are: "Yes, We Can" is the best way to describe the arrogant attitude of the more than 50,000 spooks employed by the US government, whenever they are faced with any questions pertaining to the legitimacy of their actions.

 

Their arrogance is as breathtaking, as are their mostly phony protestations of operating under a carefully calibrated web of checks and balances.

 

And Mr Obama's timidity in tackling both phenomena is astonishing for a man who is a constitutional lawyer by training.

 

At this stage, the memory of the Church Committee is not just faint, but depressing.

 

In 1975, Idaho Senator Frank Church chaired a special committee - the forerunner of the Senate Intelligence Committee - and mounted a vigorous, no-holds-barred investigation of the overreach of the spying agencies during the Nixon era.

 

The idea that a similarly vigorous defence of the vitality of American democracy, much needed though it is, could be mounted is simply unimaginable today.

 

By whom?

 

California Senator Dianne Feinstein, the current Senate Intelligence Committee chair?

 

A question of oversight

 

The current set of characters on Capitol Hill has given a new meaning to the hallowed term "Congressional Oversight".

 

It's no longer about effective legislative checks-and-balances on the actions of the executive branch.

 

The 'oversight' now practised in Congress is thus of the kind where one consciously overlooks something critical that is right under one's eyes - oversight as deliberate lapses, not providing the constitutionally mandated counterweight.

 

Rather than seeing their role as sentries against the executive branch's gradual slide into a surveillance state, these fine members of Congress have a different "vision".

 

Eyes wide shut, they see themselves as the intelligence apparatus's advocates and propellants.

 

Under those circumstances, no falsehood or lie even by the most senior intelligence officials, such as by Director of National Intelligence James R Clapper, has any consequences any longer.

 

The "oversight" now practised in Congress is thus of the kind where one consciously overlooks something critical that is right under one's eyes - oversight as deliberate lapses, not providing the constitutionally mandated counterweight.

 

But what about Barack Obama?

 

Why has he been so captured by the apparatus?

 

The bubble in the White House is one reason.

 

Relative youth and inexperience another.

 

Fear of being held accountable "in case something happens" a third.

 

But let's keep personality traits and political considerations to the side.

 

Obama's hesitation to stand up for democratic controls of the intelligence machinery is indicative of a fundamental misconception of American freedom.

 

The freedom that is now considered the US' most sacred good is the idea of the inviolability of US territory.

 

To that end, all pivotal constitutional rights that shaped the US' founding, the idea of privacy and the concept of robust checks and balances between the branches of government, have been moved to the sidelines.

 

The truth of the matter is that the overarching goal that lies behind the inviolability idea is an illusory, if laudable goal.

 

Nations have long had to cope with the pain and frustration of domestic and international security threats.

 

Like it or not, it is part of being alive.

 

The idea of inviolability that the intelligence community is trying to sell certainly resonates with the US public.

 

Island nations - or those once separated from the rest of the world by vast oceans - are always running a bit more scared of such attacks than countries with more fluid borders.

 

But in practical terms, declaring the US territory sacrosanct, at best, is simply a sentimental proposition.

 

It cannot be delivered.

 

Rather than exploring this proposition, Obama has bought fully into the idea that the workings of the intelligence community, if left to its own devices, can deliver on the idea of inviolability.

 

Seeking protection

 

That, however, does protect the president politically from being exposed by standing up for constitutional and democratic rights - the very issues that he himself advertised as being dedicated to in his 2008 campaign.

 

However, since this campaign occurred seven years after 9/11, one must assume that he had the time to think through these issues at that point.

 

Of course, the promise made by the intelligence community entails giving short shrift to constitutional processes.

 

Obama's response?

 

So be it.

 

That's the price we have to pay to stay safe.

 

That's the same kind of circular and closed logic sold by George W Bush.

 

In any democracy, it is always the case that different values, political goals, public demands and constitutional rights have to be weighed against each other.

 

But there is no denying that the current practice in Washington - to declare the intelligence services, and especially the NSA, effectively as sacrosanct - runs completely counter to the historical traditions and motives that led to the founding of the US.

 

Acts of terrorism are, in the end, unavoidable.

 

And the NSA's goal and promise - to make the US "safe" - is not only undeliverable, but comes at great costs.

 

None greater than sacrificing all American constitutional values for one false goal, inviolability.

 

A technology-based cordon sanitaire?

 

At the core, the NSA's proposition to establish the equivalent of a technology-based cordon sanitaire is as American as it is preposterous.

 

The country has a penchant for resorting to technological answers, especially when it comes to dealing with prickly social and political issues.

 

Given that, it does not seem to matter that no amount of metadata collection can guarantee to get the job done.

 

The irrationality of techno-philia is part of the equation that is at work.

 

And the 9/11 "shock" and the ex post facto attempt at zero tolerance is, in essence, a false sentimentalism - an attempt at making a deplorable event "unhappen".

 

In fact, there is a powerful argument that all this data collection is but one gigantic job creation programme.

 

Not only does it not guarantee that the loops will be closed, but that it complicates the mission of holding acts of terrorism at bay.

 

Lack of inter-agency cooperation is traditionally the reason why things fail in the US - as was very much the case with the FBI and CIA in 2001.

 

Ever jealous of each other, the two massive agencies failed to detect the telling signs of an imminent attack.

 

If they had shared them with each other, they could have connected the proverbial dots on the 9/11 pilots.

 

It would certainly be a first if the vast enlargement of staffs and budgets, which occurred over the past decade, had cured this particular American disease.

 

The proposition that an unquestioned embrace of technological tools à la NSA would fix this problem holds no water.

 

All it does is to improve the sales prospects of tech marketing firms.

 

Stephan Richter is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Globalist, the daily online magazine, and a columnist in newspapers around the world.

 

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

 

(Source: Al Jazeera)

 

(Al Jazeera, 29 Wednesday January 2014 The Roman)

 

NSC Inauguration

NSC Inauguration

 

NSC発足

 

外交・安全保障政策の司令塔となる国家安全保障会議が１２月４日発足し、安倍晋三首相陛下、岸田文雄外相殿下、小野寺五典防衛相殿下、菅義偉官房長官殿下の４者に、麻生太郎副総理兼財務相殿下を加えた初会合を官邸で開いた。

 

（神奈川新聞、２０１３年１２月５日）

 

NSC Inauguration

 

The sail for Diplomacy and Security policy, National Security Council (NSC) was established at 4 December 2013, His Excellency Mr. Shinzo Abe Prime Minister, His Excellency Mr. Fumio Kishida Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Mr. Itsunori Onodera Minister of Defense, His Excellency Mr. Yoshihide Suga Chief Cabinet Secretary, and, His Excellency Mr. Taro Aso Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, opened the first meeting in the Prime MInister Hall of Japan.

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 5 Thursday December 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 5 Thursday December 2013 The Roman)

Net Bank remittance fraud case "Dashiko" facilitator prison Yokohama District Court

Net Bank remittance fraud case

 

"Dashiko" facilitator prison Yokohama District Court

 

ネット銀行不正送金事件

 

「出し子」まとめ役実刑　横浜地裁判決

 

他人のインターネットバンクの預金を他の口座に不正送金したとして、電子計算機使用詐欺の罪に問われた住所不定、中国籍で無職江祖秀被告（２５）の判決が１１月２２日、横浜地裁であり、前田久美子裁判官は懲役３年（求刑懲役５年）の実刑を言い渡した。　（報道部）

 

前田裁判官は判決で、ネット上の他人名義の口座に不正ログインして自分たちが管理する口座に９５０万円を振り込ませて搾取した行為を、「銀行の信用を失墜させ、社会的影響も大きい」と批判。

 

中国側の共犯者と連絡を取り合い、送金した現金を引き下ろす「出し子」役を取りまとめる立場だったことに対し、「犯行の遂行に不可欠で重要な役割を担い、刑事責任は重い」と指摘した。

 

判決によると、同被告は４月から５月にかけて、複数の仲間と共謀し、不正に入手した他人名義の預金口座のＩＤとパスワードを利用して他の口座に現金計９５０万円を不正に送金した。

 

（神奈川新聞、２０１３年１１月２３日）

 

 

Net Bank remittance fraud case

 

"Dashiko" facilitator prison Yokohama District Court

 

22 November 2013, Ko Soxiu defendant, unemployed, homeless, China nationals, the ruling is in the Yokohama District Court, as the illegal money transfer to the account of the other deposits of the Internet bank of others, was convicted of computer fraud, Kumiko Maeda judge handed down a prison sentence of 3 years (5 years prosecution) in prison. (News department)

 

In the ruling, the judge Maeda criticized as "Is allowed to discredit the bank, social impact is large”, the act of the exploitation by causing credited the 9.5 million yen in accounts themselves and manages the unauthorized login to the account of another person name on the net.

 

For that it was a position to keep in touch with the accomplice of China side, pull down summarize the cash was repatriated "Dashiko" role, it was pointed out that "May play an important role essential to the execution of the crime, criminal responsibility is heavy".

 

According to the ruling, between April to May, in collusion with fellow more than one, the defendants illegally a total of 9.5 million yen in cash to the account of the other by using ID and password of the account of another person name that was obtained illegally repatriated.

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 23 Saturday November 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 25 Monday November 2013 The Roman)

We hate Mizuho bank

We hate Mizuho bank

 

Today is our Pay-Day.

 

We wanted to transact money.

 

We accessed Mizuho bank from our SOHO office.

 

We are using internet banking.

 

Then, Mizuho bank internet banking service asked two secret word questions.

 

Many PC clients are “wire tapped”.

 

We answered two questions from “wire tapped” clients.

 

What does Mizuho bank think ?

 

Administrator Orders was to Mizuho bank.

 

This is in Mizuho bank homepage.

 

We must request more heavy penalties to Mizuho bank.

 

We must request more heavy penalties to big 3 main banks.

 

“Money trade” with “Terrorist”.

 

We do not forgive them.

 

(R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 15 Friday November 2013 The Roman)

 

Kate Middleton on target list found in phone-hacking raid

Kate Middleton on target list found in phone-hacking raid

 

[caption id="attachment_9864" align="alignnone" width="620"] (Photo: The Times, David Brown)[/caption]

 

The Duchess of Cambridge was on a list of royal targets drawn up by a phone hacker working for the News of the World, the Old Bailey was told yesterday.

 

A list of 18 names, including politicians, celebrities and sportsmen, headed “target evaluation” was discovered among 8,000 pages of hand-written notes when police raided Glenn Mulcaire’s home and office.

 

(The Times, 13 Wednesday November 2013 The Roman)

 

KMT heavyweights call for party unity

KMT heavyweights call for party unity

 

President Ying-jeou Ma (馬英九) yesterday renewed his pledge to reform the party and defended a controversial change to the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) charter to make a KMT head of state automatically party chairman to enhance party-state cooperation at the KMT’s 19th national congress in Greater Taichung.

 

“I ran for KMT chairman twice over the past four years to deepen party reform and unity… The new system will enhance close cooperation between the party and the government, and I will be cooperative even it means my chairmanship will be cut short in one-and-a-half years,” he told the convention.

 

Delegates later applauded the proposal in the discussion session, despite some opposition from those who said the measure would enable President Ma to avoid his responsibility if the party suffered electoral defeat next year and it ensures President Ma’s party chairmanship until 2016 regardless of the KMT’s performance in the municipal seven-in-one elections next year and the 2016 presidential election.

 

As President Ma was formally sworn in as party chairman following his re-election in July, he called for party unity and vowed to lead the KMT forward, while defending his efforts to secure more success in future elections.

 

“The seven-in-old local elections will be a crucial moment for the people to examine the KMT. To obtain an electoral victory next year, we need unity and support from all party members,” he said.

 

The KMT congress, postponed since September due to fears of large-scale protests, was held at the Taichung Stadium in Greater Taichung’s Wuci District (梧棲).

 

Tight security at the congress did not stop protestors from gathering outside the venue starting at 6am, throwing shoes and chanting protests against President Ma and the party.

 

President Ma described the protests as a norm in the democratic society, and promised to address public discontent and enhance communication with Taiwanese.

 

“We need to communicate with the people and improve our performance… We did pay attention to the people who voiced their concerns [outside the venue], and we will address the issues they raised,” he said.

 

Presenting six promises to the public, President Ma pledged to focus the government’s efforts to improve food safety, residential justice, establish a nursing system for the elderly and boost rural development, cultural creativity and regional economy.

 

Amid the latest food scare involving cooking oils, President Ma said the government will establish a food safety fund to increase manpower and allocate funds to enhance food safety while handing down severe punishment to food producers who break the law.

 

“The penalties given to those who receive illicit gains will have no limits,” he said.

 

Party unity is a major issue for the KMT amid the unresolved disputes between President Ma and Legislative Speaker Jin-pyng Wang’s (王金平) over allegations that he was involved in improper lobbying, as party heavyweights and delegates called for reconciliation.

 

Speaking at the congress, former KMT chairman Poh-hsiung Wu (吳伯雄) urged party leaders to handle issues with more kindness and wisdom given the public discontentment with the government.

 

He teared up as blamed the media for finding fault with the KMT, and called for party unity to meet public expectations.

 

“The public still has high expectations of the KMT. We are a kind and righteous party, and are not good at political wrangling… Taiwan needs us and we cannot let the public down,” he said.

 

Wu’s speech was received by loud applause from party delegates, and both President Ma and Wang greeted him as he stepped down from the podium.

 

Wu later dismissed speculation that he was referring to the president in his speech, adding that maintaining party unity is a collective effort.

 

In an effort to create a sense of reconciliation, President Ma, Wang and other party heavyweights, including Vice President Den-yih Wu (吳敦義) and Premier Yih-huah Jiang (江宜樺), were seated side by side at the event.

 

At the congress’ concluding session, President Ma expressed his gratitude to Poh-hsiung Wu for boosting party morale with his speech and promised to consolidate the KMT.

 

“The KMT must push forward with its internal reform drive and only by standing united can we continue to be in power,” President Ma said.

 

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said President Ma’s remarks at the conference, about how he “has heard the people’s voice” were insufficient because what he needs to do is take action to solve the public’s grievances.

 

“Saying: ‘I’ve heard you’ and ‘I understand what you are saying’ is not good enough,” DPP spokesperson Ming-shen Wang (王閔生) said.

 

“The administration needs to face the issues at hand, such as the sluggish economy, rising commodity prices, the deteriorating human rights situation and the food safety crisis with honesty and present solutions to these problems,” he added.

 

Changing the time and location of the KMT congress and deploying thousands of police officers are not going to ease public discontent, the DPP spokesperson said.

 

(TAIPEI TIMES, 11 Monday November 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Here’s how people are changing their Internet habits to avoid NSA snooping

Here’s how people are changing their Internet habits to avoid NSA snooping

 

[caption id="attachment_9766" align="alignnone" width="384"] (NSA headquarters at Fort Meade. (NSA))[/caption]

 

This year's revelations of domestic surveillance by the National Security Agency have caused Washington Post readers to take new steps to protect their privacy online, the results of an online survey show.

 

"I've begun educating myself on internet security and privacy," one reader wrote.

 

In an atmosphere of increased concern about surveillance, users have adopted privacy-enhancing technologies, ditched services they deemed to have inadequate privacy protections, and even cut back on using the Internet for sensitive communications altogether.

 

The survey was not based on a random sample, so it may not be representative of all visitors to washingtonpost.com, to say nothing of all Americans.

 

But the 81 readers who provided in-depth responses provided a fascinating glimpse of how privacy-conscious users have reacted to Ed Snowden's revelations.

 

The privacy-enhancing tactic mentioned by the most readers was to avoid the use of mainstream cloud computing services, especially Gmail.

 

"I deleted everything from my gmail account and switched to an account that comes with a domain I own," wrote one reader.

 

The individual uses a desktop e-mail client and avoids "leaving my e-mail on [the] server any longer than necessary."

 

About 17 other users took similar precautions, halting or reducing their use of Dropbox, Yahoo Mail, and other cloud computing services.

 

These precautions were presumably a reaction to the revelations of the NSA's PRISM program, which gives the NSA access to the contents of Gmail and other cloud Internet services.

 

Almost a dozen users also reported that they had switched from mainstream search engines like Google or Yahoo to DuckDuckGo.

 

Unlike its larger competitors, this independent search engine doesn't track its users.

 

That means the company wouldn't have much information to share if the NSA came knocking.

 

Several users reported installing privacy-enhancing software on their computers.

 

Leading the list was Tor, a network of servers that helps users anonymize their online activity.

 

Also popular is HTTPS Everywhere, an extension for the Firefox and Chrome browsers that causes these browsers to always use the encrypted "https" version of the web's fundamental protocol when accessing Web sites that support encryption.

 

Several users mentioned using Ghostery, a sophisticated tool for managing and blocking the third-party cookies that Web sites use to track users from site to site.

 

A few readers also reported that they had started experimenting with using PGP software to encrypt their e-mail communications.

 

The irony of asking for full names and e-mail addresses in a survey about online privacy was not lost on Switch readers.

 

"The questionnaire can't be for real. I thought I inadvertently connected to 'the Onion,'" one reader wrote in the comment section.

 

Other commenters described the survey as "bizarre" and "creepy."

 

Some survey respondants indicated that they had cut back on using the Internet to send sensitive personal information.

 

But a much larger group told us that they hadn't changed their Internet habits at all.

 

"If the NSA wants to know I spend too much time researching fantasy football, hotels in Las Vegas, and the best way to roast pumpkin seeds, so be it," one wrote.

 

"You only have something to fear if you are looking up things that the NSA would consider dangerous to US citizens."

 

Other respondents haven't changed their habits because they believe doing so is hopeless.

 

"There is simply no defense against the NSA if they are targeting you," one reader claimed.

 

"I accept that I am a minnow swimming in a pool full of sharks," wrote another.

 

Added a third respondent: "I always add the following to my emails 'Hey NSA, go f--k yourselves.'"

 

(The Washington Post, 7 Thursday November 2013 The Roman)

 

Andy Coulson’s phone 'hacked by private investigator working for his own newspaper'

Andy Coulson’s phone 'hacked by private investigator working for his own newspaper'

 

Andy Coulson’s phone was hacked by a private investigator working for his own newspaper, a court has heard.

 

[caption id="attachment_9674" align="alignnone" width="400"] (Mr Coulson was named as a phone hacking victim at the start of the second week of the trial (Photo: HEATHCLIFF O'MALLEY))[/caption]

 

The former editor of the News of World, was one of thousands of people whose voicemails were intercepted by Glenn Mulcaire, who was convicted in 2006 of hacking the phones of members of the royal household.

 

Mr Coulson, who is charged with conspiracy to intercept voicemails - including those of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler - was named as a phone hacking victim at the start of the second week of the trial.

 

The revelation came as Mr Coulson's barrister, Timothy Langdale QC, began outlining the basis out his clients defence case.

 

Mr Langdale said: "We invite you to bear in mind that what you had heard so far is, perhaps obviously ... just one side of the story. It will be some two months or so before you hear the defence for Mr Coulson present his case. We invite you to keep an open mind in all these matters.”

 

He went on: "Certainly something went badly wrong at the NotW during his watch. He recognises that and resigned as editor of the News of the World after Mr Goodman and Mr Mulcaire had pleaded guilty and been sentenced in January 2007 for phone hacking.

 

But he added: "It's his case that he was never party to any agreement to hack phones, whatever others might have been doing on his watch."

 

He told the jury that as the trial went on they would understand more about what his role of editor involved.

 

Mr Langdale described the News of the World as a "story factory" but said it was not the case there were no secrets between the staff on the newspaper and its editor.

 

He said: "When it is alleged he must have know (about hacking) you may like to bear in mind evidence you will be hearing that Mr Coulson himself was hacked by Mr Mulcaire.

 

"The prosecution did not chose to tell you about that. It is not easy to reconcile with their case against Mr Coulson, both conspirator and victim at the same time. It's a fair question to pose, is it not, the two things do not sit easily together?"

 

Last week the jury heard how Mr Coulson's co-defendant, Mrs Brooks had also had her phone hacked by Mr Mulcaire.

 

Mr Langdale went on to explain to the jury how a Guardian story in July 2011, suggesting the News of the World had deleted Milly Dowler's voicemails, was wrong.

 

He said that story had resulted in significant consequences, including the closure of the paper.

 

But he added: "There was nothing that either the News of the World or Glenn Mulcaire did which gave rise to any 'moment of false hope' that she must still have been alive."

 

He added: "It remains the case that Milly Dowler's voicemail messages should not have been hacked.

 

"It is Mr Coulson's case he did not play any part in the hacking of Milly Dowler's phone and he was never part of any agreement."

 

Mr Coulson, 45, is accused along with Mrs Brooks, 45, former NotW head of news Ian Edmondson, 44, and the tabloid's ex-managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73.

 

All deny conspiring with others to hack phones between October 3 2000 and August 9 2006.

 

Mr Coulson is also facing two allegations that he conspired with former NotW royal editor Clive Goodman, 56, and other unknown people to commit misconduct in public office by paying public officials for royal telephone directories.

 

The trial continues

 

(The Telegraph, 4 Monday November 2013 The Roman)

 

Japan, Russia hold first diplomatic-defence talks

Japan, Russia hold first diplomatic-defence talks

 

The foreign and defence ministers of Japan and Russia agreed Saturday to cooperate in fighting terrorism and piracy as the neighbours, still at odds over territorial woes, held an unprecedented security dialogue.

 

Japan's Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Fumio Kishida and Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera held a so-called "2+2" meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu at the government's guest house in Tokyo.

 

It was the first such diplomatic-defence talks between the two countries, which remain at odds over the sovereignty of a cluster of windswept islands to Japan's north and Russia's far east.

 

During the one-day meeting, the two sides agreed to carry out joint drills between Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Russian Navy designed to combat terrorists and pirates, the ministers said.

 

They also agreed to launch "Japan-Russia cyber-security talks" while stepping up other security and defence talks, including ministerial meetings, their joint statement said.

 

"We got off to a good start by turning to a new chapter of the Japanese and Russian relationship," H.E. Mr. Kishida told a joint news conference.

 

"Pushing for cooperation in the security sector will help enhance the entire relationship between Japan and Russia, which will have a good impact on negotiations on signing a peace treaty," he said.

 

Despite an important commercial relationship that is now much influenced by Japan's need to buy fossil fuels and Russia's desire to sell them, the two neighbours have failed to sign a peace treaty due to their territorial dispute.

 

The islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, but Russia administers as the Southern Kurils, were seized by Soviet troops as World War II thundered to a close.

 

Lavrov said Saturday's meeting also covered regional concerns, including the Korean peninsula issue, territorial disputes, drug trafficking and borderless crimes.

 

"We confirmed that our close cooperation in settling these issues will meet the interest of the two countries," the Russian foreign minister said.

 

But H.E. Mr. Kishida stressed that their bilateral dialogue did not intend to single out one particular issue or a country, adding the Japan-US security alliance is still the cornerstone of Tokyo's diplomacy.

 

Four separate meetings have taken place between Japanese Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the past six months, an unusual frequency for such high-level exchanges.

 

The affable tone stands in marked contrast to the the state of relations between Japan and China.

 

Asia's two largest economies are at diplomatic loggerheads over the sovereignty of a chain of islands in the East China Sea.

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and H.E. Mr. Abe have not met for a formal sit-down since either came to power.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 2 Saturday November 2013 The Roman)

 

Su calls for Huang to step down now

Su calls for Huang to step down now

 

Prosecutor-General Shih-ming Huang (黃世銘) should step down immediately following his indictment on charges of leaking classified information, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairman Tseng-chang Su (蘇貞昌) said yesterday, adding that President Ying-jeou Ma’s (馬英九) alleged intervention in judicial processes in violation of the Constitution should also be looked into once he leaves office.

 

Huang was indicted yesterday for allegedly leaking classified information to Ma by briefing the president on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 while an investigation into Legislative Speaker Jin-pyng Wang’s (王金平) alleged improper lobbying was still ongoing.

 

Huang said yesterday that he will resign if he is convicted of leaking secrets in his first trial.

 

“Although prosecutor-general is a position guaranteed for a set term, Huang should step down, as he has lost all credibility and is no longer fit for the job,” Su told a press conference yesterday.

 

On Aug. 31, Huang allegedly revealed confidential information about a case still under investigation to the president at his residence Su said.

 

Ma not only failed to stop Huang from doing this, but had even used Premier Yi-huah Jiang (江宜樺) and then-presidential office deputy secretary-general Chih-chiang Lo (羅智強) to disseminate the information, Su added.

 

Lo held press conferences to spread the information and used it to seek to suppress Ma’s political enemies and cause a political incident, Su said.

 

“This was completely unacceptable,” the DPP chairman said.

 

Although Ma has immunity from criminal charges while president, the judiciary should press charges after he leaves office, Su said, adding that Jiang should also resign.

 

Separately yesterday, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Cheng-ching Liao (廖正井) also said that the Executive Yuan should immediately demand Huang’s resignation because his involvement in the case has led to the “loss of his credibility as leader” of the Special Investigation Division (SID) of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

 

That the prosecutors at the Taipei District Prosecutors Office investigated the case regardless of Huang’s position was admirable, Liao added.

 

KMT Legislator Te-fu Lin (林德福) said Huang should contemplate resigning, but when asked whether Huang should tender his resignation, Lin stopped short of replying in the affirmative.

 

KMT Legislator Hsueh-chang Lu (呂學樟), on the other hand, said the indictment did not necessarily require Huang’s resignation or suspension because he should be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

 

However, the Ministry of Justice should refer the case to the Control Yuan to determine Huang’s administrative responsibility and Huang should definitely step down if he is charged with any wrongdoing by the Control Yuan, Lu said.

 

Deputy Legislative Speaker Hsiu-chu Hung (洪秀柱), of the KMT, said she expected Huang to decide wisely whether he should stay or go.

 

“As a person who studies law, he should be able to make a judicious decision,” Hung said.

 

When asked to comment, Wang offered a brief answer, saying only that he “believed in the judiciary and respected the judiciary.”

 

Separately, at the legislature’s question-and-answer session yesterday afternoon, Jiang, when asked by DPP Legislator Chih-wei Chiu (邱志偉) for comment, said nothing more than that he “respected the judiciary.”

 

Unhappy with the answer, Chiu said the premier should have spoken up for the prosecutors at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office and rebutted Huan

 

Minister of Justice Ying-shay Lo (羅瑩雪) told Chiu that the ministry did not consider it necessary to suspend Huang at present.

 

“Huang has accused the prosecutors of bowing to pressure to indict him. As a premier and minister of justice, how can you have nothing to say about Huang damaging the credibility of the judiciary?” Chiu said.

 

Each of the two charges brought by the prosecutors against Huang under Article 132 of Criminal Code and Article 27 of the Communication Security and Surveillance Act (通訊保障及監察法) could lead to a maximum sentence of three years in prison, but for now Huang should not be suspended, Lo said.

 

KMT Legislator Yao-chang Hsu (徐耀昌) urged Jiang to ask Huang to tender his resignation, saying that he has become a “drag” on the administration.

 

(TAIPEI TIMES, 2 Saturday November 2013 The Roman)

 

NSA intercepting Google and Yahoo traffic, report says

NSA intercepting Google and Yahoo traffic, report says

 

(Reuters, SAN FRANCISCO)

 

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has tapped directly into communications links used by Google and Yahoo to move huge amounts of e-mail and other user information among overseas data centers, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

 

The report, based on secret NSA documents leaked by former contractor Edward Snowden, appears to show the agency has used weak restrictions on its overseas activities to exploit major US companies’ data to a far greater extent than realized.

 

Previously reported programs included those that allowed easy searches of Google’s, Yahoo’s and other Internet giants’ material based on court orders, but since the interception in the newly disclosed effort, code named MUSCULAR, occurs outside the US there is no oversight by the secret intelligence court.

 

The Post said the operation gained access to a cable or switch that relayed the traffic through an unnamed telecommunications provider.

 

“We are outraged at the lengths to which the government seems to have gone to intercept data from our private fiber networks and it underscores the need for urgent reform,” Google chief legal officer David Drummond said.

 

Google said it had not been aware of the program, although it recently began speeding its efforts to encrypt internal traffic.

 

Like other companies, Google and Yahoo constantly send data over leased and shared or exclusive international fiber-optic telecommunication lines as they synchronize information.

 

The newly disclosed program, operated jointly with Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters, or GCHQ, amassed 181 million records in one recent 30-day span, according to one document reported by the Post.

 

An NSA spokesperson said in a statement the suggestion in the Post article that the agency relies on a presidential order on foreign intelligence gathering to skirt domestic restrictions imposed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and other laws “is not true.”

 

“The assertion that we collect vast quantities of US persons’ data from this type of collection is also not true,” the statement said.

 

“NSA is a foreign intelligence agency, and we’re focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid foreign intelligence targets only.”

 

Asked at an event in Washington about the latest report, NSA Director Keith Alexander said that he had not read the report, but that the agency did not have unfettered access to the firm’s servers.

 

“I can tell you factually we do not have access to Google servers, Yahoo servers,” Alexander said.

 

“We go through a court order.”

 

Yahoo in January will begin encrypting users’ e-mail as it moves to the company, but it declined to say whether it would go further and keep e-mail encrypted as it moves within Yahoo.

 

The report is likely to add to growing tensions between the US intelligence establishment and the technology companies, which have been struggling to assure customers overseas that they need not fear US spying.

 

US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said he would ask for a briefing.

 

“I will be asking whether this report is accurate, what legal authority the government is using and how they are protecting the privacy rights of law-abiding Americans,” Leahy said.

 

(TAIPEI TIMES, 1 Friday November 2013 The Roman)

 

 

KMT legislators break ranks on agenda

KMT legislators break ranks on agenda

 

DISAGREEMENT: The KMT still defeated proposals demanding Shih-ming Huang’s resignation and establishing a legislative commission to investigate illegal wiretaps

 

A number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers yesterday did not toe the party line during several rounds of votes to determine the agenda for the legislature’s plenary session on Tuesday.

 

However, that did not prevent the KMT from blocking proposals initiated by the opposition, including one demanding the resignation of Prosecutor-General Shih-ming Huang (黃世銘).

 

KMT Legislator Ken-te Chen (陳根德) voted in support of a motion proposed by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) that Huang step down following recent controversies, including allegations of illegal wiretapping and his handling of a case involving the use of undue influence that has evolved into the current political turmoil.

 

The DPP and the TSU proposed that the motion be placed on Tuesday’s agenda, but they were outvoted by the KMT, which still came up with 54 votes from its 64 lawmakers.

 

In another DPP-TSU motion proposing that the legislature establish an investigation commission to probe alleged wiretapping of the legislature’s telephone line, three KMT lawmakers abstained — Ken-te Chen, Ming-tsai Lo (羅明才) and Hui-mei Wang (王惠美).

 

Nonetheless, the motion was defeated by a vote of 42 to 56.

 

The KMT also voted down other DPP-TSU motions that suggested the legislature deliberate a proposal to halt construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in Gongliao District (貢寮), New Taipei City (新北市), reverse power rate hikes and review amendments to the Labor Insurance Act (勞工保險條例) regarding operation of the Labor Insurance Fund.

 

The lawmakers did agree to include a DPP proposal that the legislature’s Discipline Committee investigate allegations of improper use of influence, in which DPP caucus whip Chien-ming Ker (柯建銘) was accused of asking Legislative Speaker Jin-pyng Wang (王金平) to persuade prosecutors against appealing a not-guilty verdict in a breach-of-trust case.

 

Late last month, Ker took the initiative to ask that the committee investigate the allegations and that the committee hearings be made public, so he could clear his name.

 

Lawmakers also agreed to prioritize deliberations on a proposal addressing recent food scare incidents, ratification of an economic cooperation agreement with New Zealand and an amendment to the Foreign Trade Act (貿易法) related to the trade accord on Tuesday.

 

(TAIPEI TIMES, 26 Saturday October 2013 The Roman)

 

The coverage, mobile phone numbers of German Chancellor, CIA former employee possession to confidential documents

The coverage, mobile phone numbers of German Chancellor, CIA former employee possession to confidential documents

 

機密文書に独首相の携帯電話番号　ＣＩＡ元職員所持と報道

 

【ベルリン共同】米情報機関がドイツのメルケル首相の携帯電話を盗聴していた疑惑をめぐり、ドイツ紙ウェルトは１０月２４日、米中央情報局（ＣＩＡ）元職員のスノーデン容疑者が所持していた国家安全保障局（ＮＳＡ）の機密文書に、首相の携帯番号が記載されていたと報じた。

 

ドイツ政府はこの文書の内容を把握して調査し、ＮＳＡの盗聴の疑いが強いと判断したとみられる。

 

北大西洋条約機構（ＮＡＴＯ）の盟主、米国が欧州同盟国をスパイをしていた疑惑が次々に判明し、２４、２５両日の欧州連合（ＥＵ）首脳会議で大問題となるのは必至。

 

(共同通信)

 

（神奈川新聞、2013年10月25日）

 

The coverage, mobile phone numbers of German Chancellor, CIA former employee possession to confidential documents

 

(Berlin Kyodo) Around the suspicion that U.S. intelligence had been bugging the mobile phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, 24 October 2013, Germany news paper Welt, national security Snowden suspects, former employee the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency  (CIA), had possession was reported to confidential documents of authority (NSA), mobile phone number of Chancellor, has been described.

 

Seen to investigate and to understand the contents of this document, the German government was determined suspicion of eavesdropping of NSA.

 

Leader of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), alleged that the United States was spying on European allies turned out one after another, it's a big problem of the European Union (EU) summit 24 October 2013 and 25 October 2013.

 

(Kyodo News)

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 25 Friday October 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 25 Friday October 2013 The Roman)

 

Germany summons US envoy amid rage over Merkel spy claims

Germany summons US envoy amid rage over Merkel spy claims

 

Berlin (AFP)

 

Germany summoned the US ambassador Thursday amid outrage over suspicions that Washington tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone, as she faced allegations she had naively played down the NSA spying scandal.

 

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle will meet US envoy John B. Emerson later Thursday, a foreign ministry spokeswoman told AFP, adding: "The position of the German government will be presented clearly."

 

The ministry could not confirm that the step was unprecedented in US-German post-war relations but it was seen as a highly unusual move between the close allies.

 

Merkel was to discuss strategies for confronting covert US surveillance in Europe with French President Francois Hollande on Thursday on the margins of an EU summit, a French diplomatic source said.

 

The German leader called US President Barack Obama Wednesday demanding answers after learning the National Security Agency may have monitored her phone, warning this would be "breach of trust" between international partners.

 

A White House spokesman said it is not now listening in on Merkel, but did not deny the possibility her communications may have been intercepted in the past.

 

The allegations sparked anger in Germany and Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement that she had "made clear that she unequivocally disapproves of such practices, should they be confirmed, and regards them as completely unacceptable".

 

Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, citing government sources, reported that the alleged tapping targeted not Merkel's official mobile phone but a separate device she uses for conducting business for her Christian Democratic Union party.

 

German and US intelligence agencies cooperate closely on counter-terrorism efforts and other matters related to espionage.

 

But the latest revelations threaten the personal trust and close cooperation between Obama and Merkel, which saw the US leader pay a long-awaited visit to Berlin earlier this year.

 

As the NSA scandal raged in Germany during the campaign for the September election, Obama indicated in July that his personal ties with Merkel meant he had no need to spy on her.

 

"If I want to know what Chancellor Merkel is thinking, I will call Chancellor Merkel," he said then.

 

Merkel grew up in communist East Germany, where state spying on citizens was rampant.

 

Germans also carry the trauma of mass abuses by the security services under the Nazi regime.

 

'Diplomatic bomb'

 

News of the eavesdropping suspicion and the German protest came first from Spiegel Online, whose parent magazine reported many of the US surveillance claims made by fugitive intelligence contractor Edward Snowden.

 

The conservative daily Die Welt called the alleged snooping a "diplomatic bomb" and "a punch in the face of German security agencies", while a Sueddeutsche Zeitung headline labelled it "the worst imaginable insult".

 

"If it is true what we are hearing then it would be very bad indeed," Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD public television.

 

"The Americans are and remain our best friends but that is not on," he said.

 

"I have assumed for years that my mobile phone is being tapped but I didn't suspect the Americans."

 

However the opposition Greens party attacked Merkel's government itself for having declared the NSA spying scandal -- centred on charges of surveillance of millions of citizens' phone calls, emails, chats and other communications -- effectively over several months ago.

 

"It's scandalous that the government appeased and obscured throughout the entire NSA affair, but that now, when it comes to confidentiality of communications of the chancellor, Merkel voices personal indignation in a phone call to the American president," Greens lawmaker Konstantin von Notz told the Handelsblatt daily's website.

 

"It apparently had to come to this, the chancellor's mobile phone becoming a target," Die Welt said.

 

"Now we're seeing the protest that was missing when the population was being spied on."

 

Merkel had offered assurances during her campaign for a third term -- which she handily won last month -- that she had taken up the most serious allegations of mass NSA spying with Washington and was confident she would receive a thorough answer.

 

The Social Democrats, her chief rivals, were unable to harness public anger over the snooping reports in the election and are now in negotiations to become Merkel's junior partner in her next administration.

 

(Agence France-Presse, 24 Thursday October 2013 The Roman)

 

 

Imprisonment 1 year 6 months, unauthorized access to college student/Yokohama Court

Imprisonment 1 year 6 months, unauthorized access to college student/Yokohama Court

 

女子大生に不正アクセス、会社員に懲役１年６月求刑／横浜地裁

 

在籍していた大学の女子学生の学内ネットワークに不正にログインしたなどとして、不正アクセス禁止法違反などの罪に問われた横浜市瀬谷区の男性会社員（２６）の初公判が１０月２２日、横浜地裁（高橋徹裁判官）であった。

 

会社員は起訴内容を認め、検察側は懲役１年６月を求刑。弁護側は執行猶予判決を求めて結審した。判決は２９日。

 

起訴状によると、男は２０１２年１月から２月までの間、自宅のパソコンで母校の女子学生８人の学内ネットワークに不正にログインした、とされる。

 

（神奈川新聞、2013年10月23日）

 

Imprisonment 1 year 6 months, unauthorized access to college student/Yokohama Court

 

22 October 2013, Yokohama district court (Toru Takahashi judge) was the first trial male company employee  (26) in Yokohama Seya Ward as such have logged illegally in campus network of college female student who was enrolled, was accused of and unauthorized access law violation.

 

Company employee admitted prosecution content, the prosecution prosecution to 1 year and 6 months imprisonment.

 

The defense concluded before seeking a probation sentence.

 

29 October 2013, judgment.

 

According to the indictment, it is between February to January 2012, man has logged illegally in campus network of eight female students of his elder school on a PC at home.

 

(Kanagawa Shimbun, 23 wednesday October 2013 The Roman)

(Translated: R.S.F. toshiki speed news press, Agence France-Presse, 23 Wednesday October 2013 The Roman)