Oh, he can answer your question, don't worry.
But the real battle – the NSA’s war against sacred civil rights – will have to be won in Congress. Ms Merkel would do better to call Dianne Feinstein, chair of the Senate intelligence committee, than chastise the US ambassador.
I'd be very surprised if Feinstein had much of an idea what was going on.
And look at the next bit of crap.
Better to remember the rules: good counter-intelligence is more effective than sulky pouting; the best defence is offence – if you, my good friend, spy on me, I spy on you; and most important – do not get caught.
German virtue also reflects meagre means. Flying with Ms Merkel in her small Challenger jet a few years back, I asked: “Where is your secure communications?” She grinned: “Over there, by the porthole,” pointing to a run-of-the-mill telephone set. Berlin has a long way to go in emulating its fabled second world war Abwehr.
Sod social problems, let's spunk money on playing spies. And personally, I trust Germans to get the hang on all that difficult stuff with phones.
Infantile Second World War reference too.