托福阅读材料之美国被爆曾监听35个外国领导人.docxVIP

智课网TOEFL备考资料 托福阅读材料之美国被爆曾监听35个外国领导人 The National Security Agency monitored the phone conversations of 35 world leaders after being given the numbers by an official in another US government department, according to a classified document provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden.  The confidential memo reveals that the NSA encourages senior officials in its customer departments, such the White House, State and the Pentagon, to share their Rolodexes so the agency can add the phone numbers of leading foreign politicians to their surveillance systems.  The document notes that one unnamed US official handed over 200 numbers, including those of the 35 world leaders, none of whom is named. These were immediately tasked for monitoring by the NSA.  The revelation is set to add to mounting diplomatic tensions between the US and its allies, after the German chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday accused the US of tapping her mobile phone.  After Merkels allegations became public, White House press secretary Jay Carney issued a statement that said the US is not monitoring and will not monitor the German chancellors communications. But that failed to quell the row, as officials in Berlin quickly pointed out that the US did not deny monitoring the phone in the past.  The NSA memo obtained by the Guardian suggests that such surveillance was not isolated, as the agency routinely monitors the phone numbers of world leaders – and even asks for the assistance of other US officials to do so.  The memo, dated October 2006 and which was issued to staff in the agencys Signals Intelligence Directorate (SID), was titled Customers Can Help SID Obtain Targetable Phone Numbers.  It begins by setting out an example of how US officials who mixed with world leaders and politicians could help agency surveillance.  In one recent case, the memo notes, a US official provided NSA with 200 phone numbers to 35 world leaders … Despite the