ITALIAN MAGAZINE SAYS NSA SPIED ON POPE
October 31, 2013 - 16:46 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Even the Pope has been spied on by the NSA, an
Italian magazine says, according to the Independent.
The Panorama news magazine says U.S. secret services monitored the
phone calls of Pope Benedict XVI, as well as those of his successor
Francis I. NSA staff listened in on cardinals before the conclave to
elect the Pope in March this year, it says.
In a press release ahead of the magazine's publication today,
Panorama said: "It is feared that the great American ear continued
to tap prelates' conversations up to the eve of the conclave on March
12, 2013."
It added that Archbishop Bergoglio, as he was called before he became
Pope in March, "had been a person of interest to the American secret
services since 2005, according to WikiLeaks". His election came after
Benedict XVI resigned on 28 February.
Panorama said the recorded Vatican conversations were among the 46
million phone calls followed by the NSA in Italy from December 10,
2012 to January 8, 2013.
The phone calls were apparently catalogued by the NSA in four
categories - leadership intentions, threats to the financial system,
foreign policy objectives and human rights.
From: A. Papazian
October 31, 2013 - 16:46 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Even the Pope has been spied on by the NSA, an
Italian magazine says, according to the Independent.
The Panorama news magazine says U.S. secret services monitored the
phone calls of Pope Benedict XVI, as well as those of his successor
Francis I. NSA staff listened in on cardinals before the conclave to
elect the Pope in March this year, it says.
In a press release ahead of the magazine's publication today,
Panorama said: "It is feared that the great American ear continued
to tap prelates' conversations up to the eve of the conclave on March
12, 2013."
It added that Archbishop Bergoglio, as he was called before he became
Pope in March, "had been a person of interest to the American secret
services since 2005, according to WikiLeaks". His election came after
Benedict XVI resigned on 28 February.
Panorama said the recorded Vatican conversations were among the 46
million phone calls followed by the NSA in Italy from December 10,
2012 to January 8, 2013.
The phone calls were apparently catalogued by the NSA in four
categories - leadership intentions, threats to the financial system,
foreign policy objectives and human rights.
From: A. Papazian