Photo Gallery Merkel Backs Down
Until recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had found strong words to condemn US spying. But harmony was her clear priority during her visit to Washington last week. Her government has also taken steps to make the German parliament's investigation into NSA spying more difficult.
The German parliamentary investigative committee looking into NSA spying had hoped to be able to question whistleblower Edward Snowden. But now it looks as though that isn't going to happen.
The US Embassy in Berlin from where some of the surveillance is thought to have taken place. With Ukraine now tops on Merkel's to-do list, she has opted for unity with the US rather than confrontation.
An excerpt of the legal analysis commissioned by the German government from the Washington D.C.-based law firm Rubin, Winston, Diercks, Harris & Cooke.
