Did President Obama Lie To Chancellor Merkel When He Said That He Was Unaware That The NSA Was Spying On Her?

Barack Obama 'Approved Tapping Angela Merkel's Phone 3 Years Ago' -- The Telegraph

President Barack Obama was told about monitoring of German Chancellor in 2010 and allowed it to continue, says German newspaper

President Barack Obama was personally informed about secret US monitoring of Angela Merkel three years ago, according to latest reports on the eavesdropping affair.

The President allowed the National Security Agency (NSA) to continue spying on the German chancellor, it was claimed.

Mr Obama was told of the secret monitoring of Mrs Merkel by General Keith Alexander, the head of the NSA, in 2010, according to Bild am Sonntag, a German newspaper.

“Obama did not stop the action at that time but allowed it to continue,” a US intelligence source close to the NSA operation told the Sunday newspaper.

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Update #1: Obama knew of NSA spying on Merkel and approved it, report says -- FOX News
Update #2: Obama aware of Merkel spying since 2010: German report -- Global Post/AFP

My Comment: If true .... this news is incredibly damaging to U.S. and German relations. President Obama reportedly assured Mrs Merkel during a telephone conversation last week that he was unaware the NSA had been spying on her .... but now it appears that he was lying.

As to what is my take .....for the NSA to spy on the leader of a close U.S. ally .... the President had to give his approval followed by Congressional oversight .... there is no way that the NSA would have gone rogue on such an operation. The question that needs to be answered now is why was this approval given .... did U.S. intelligence spot something that raised concerns which resulted in President Obama giving his approval for this spying .... and the answer must also be given on why did the U.S. President lie to the German Chancellor on his knowledge of NSA spying of her.

On a side note .... my gut is telling me that this is not an Edward Snowden NSA leak.This is a leak from someone who has intimate knowledge on White House - NSA operations and White House knowledge of such operations. From my vantage point .... it looks someone is trying to embarrass the President and is doing a very good job at it.