Much huffing and puffing by world leaders since the secret papers released by Edward Snowden revealed that the American National Security Agency had bugged the phones of presidents and prime ministers. This seems more of a breach of what is euphemistically called " the Eleventh Commandment " - which states " Thou shall not get caught " !
Every country in the world has a clandestine department locked away in the deep recesses of government - tasked with the duty of gaining secrets from other countries. The terms change - depending on from whence the comment originates. The country being penetrated calls it " spying " and the country owning the agents calls it " Information gathering ".
The age of the computer has concentrated this " art " into the broad area of " hacking " to break into the information flow of both industry and the military of the target country. Gaining trade secrets can enhance trade while keeping watch on the others war capacity is considered essential whenever tension reaches a dangerous level between neighbours.
Now there are suggestions that Russia - which gave Snowden political asylum and shielded him from a vengeful America - was guilty of a similar intrusion when it presented the traditional host gifts to the G-20 meeting in St Petersburgh this September 5.
Russia's Vladimir Putin presented each country's representative with a USB flash drive and a mobile phone battery charger, both of which had been artfully bugged so that information could be later retrieved by secret agents.
World leaders are expected by their citizens to deplore any form of espionage and express rage, but this outrage will be short lived. They all live in fear that a Bradley Manning - or a Julian Assange - or a Edward Snowden - will emerge from their own ranks - and " spill the beans " !
The world of espionage reads like a never ending Tom Clancy novel !
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