Epstein Secrets

nce efforts, where pushback has begun in Germany. Chancellor Merkel and French president Emmanuel Macron have initiat

e agents had used faked LinkedIn identities or avatars of Germans engaged with China to contact people in the political and media spheres. Politics Angela Merkel, the present chancellor, has a decidedly cool attitude toward China, although she has established mechanisms to work closely with China over the year

e has established mechanisms to work closely with China over the years. Possibly because of her experience of being raised in communist East Germany, Merkel clearly sees the challenges presented by China to democracy and a liberal society. Indeed, there’s an argument to be made that with the retreat of th

c425c0-840c-11e8-889e-dfla4cd5925c -html. 15 Interviews with sources close to the deal, and Gertz, Bill, “Mexican Radio to Beam Chinese Propaganda.” Washington Free Beacon. August 13, 2018. https://freebeacon.com/national-security/mexican-radio-beam -chinese-propaganda. 16 “Petition to Deny.” US Federal Communications

arian states.° While Putin called the pact 'immoral" during a 2009 visit to Poland, he defended the agreement during a joint press conference with Angela Merkel in 2015, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He did so in a fashion typical of current Russian propa- ganda methods. He accused the West of try

sHikraine/merkel.listens.aszputin.defends.ussrs.ciart-with.nazi.ap any-388241.html. Tulin Defends Ribbon- trop-Molotov Pact in Press Conference with Merkel; Moscow Times, May 11, 2015, fands.ribbentrop.mnIntny.nart.incresc.rnnfwranra.with-markal.46441 8. Li nas Linkevidius, 'Putin Has Defended the Nazi

ashington Influence Game," Millington PosL September 2 2015, 17. Lachlan Markay 'State-Owned Venezuelan Oil Firm Spends Millions on U.S. Lobbying,' Washington Free Beacon, June 6, 2016, 18. Ben Schreckinger and lulia loffe, 'Lobbyist Advised Trump Campaign While Promoting Russian Pipeline,' Politico, October 7, 2016,

s expose purported U.S. government actions in foreign lands, including the alleged tapping of friendly government officials’ con- versations, such as Angela Merkel’s, these are implicitly conflated with the NSA’s domestic surveillance program, around which a | | Epst_9780451494566_2p_all_r1.indd 303 @ 9/30/16 8:1

ficial who requested anonymity, inter- view with author. 183 German federal prosecutor: Theodore Schleifer, “Germany Drops Probe into U.S. Spying on Merkel,” CNN Politics, June 13, 2015. 184 “Russian planners might have”: Adam Entous, Julian E. Barnes, and Siobhan Gorman, “U.S. Scurries to Shore Up Spy

Is Getting Old,” NPR, March 16, 2016. 294 “Have I lost capability”: Bill Gertz, “NSA Director: Snowden’s Leaks Helped @ Terrorists Avoid Tracking,” Washington Free Beacon, Feb. 24, 2015. @ EPILOGUE The Snowden Effect 295 “Governments can reduce our dignity”: Edward Snowden, “Governments Can Reduce Our Dignity to That

ve...”—Author’s interview with Source B 30. “German federal prosecutor concluded. ..”-- Theodore Schleifer, “Germany drops probe into U.S. spying on Merkel,” CNN Politics, June 13, 2015 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020412 261 31. “ NSA lost sight of. ..”-- Adam Entous, Julian E. Barnes and Siobhan Gorman, “U.S. S

..”—Author’s interview with Source A 9. “Admiral Rogers, the new...”-- Bill Gertz, “NSA Director: Snowden’s Leaks Helped Terrorists Avoid Tracking,” Washington Free Beacon,February 24, 2015 10. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020433 282 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_020434 283 APPENDEX A SPIES AND ESPIONAGE SOURCES [TK] HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_02043

alitarian states. While Putin called the pact “immoral” during a 2009 visit to Poland, he defended the agreement during a joint press conference with Angela Merkel in 2015, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. q He did so in a fashion typical of current Russian propa- ganda methods. He accused the West of t

hetimes.co.uk/tto/ news/world/europe/article3926546.ece. 6. Gabriela Baczynska, “Putin Accused of Soviet Tactics in Drafting New History Book.” 7. “Merkel Listens as Putin Defends USSR's Pact with Nazi Germany,” Kviv Post, May 10, 2015, httos://www.kyivpost.com/article/con- tent/war-against-ukraine/merk

try/arab-gulf-states-washington_us_55e62be5e4b0b7a9633ac659. 17. Lachlan Markay, “State-Owned Venezuelan Oil Firm Spends Millions on U.S. Lobbying,” Washington Free Beacon, June 6, 2016, http://freebeacon.com/issues/state-owned-venezuelan-oil-firms-spends-millions-u-s-lobbying/. 18. Ben Schreckinger and lulia loffe, “L