Wikileaks: U.S. Spied on Japanese Government, Corporations
WASHINGTON, July 31 (UPI) — The whistleblowing website Wikileaks released documents that show the United States has spied on 35 Japanese politicians, cabinet officials and corporations, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and car manufacturing giant Mitsubishi.
The documents, which appear to be five U.S. National Security Agency reports, four that are marked top secret, detail internal Japanese discussions on issues that include trade, climate change and nuclear policy. The documents also indicate the U.S. spied on Bank of Japan officials, Mitsubishi and Matsui.
“In these documents we see the Japanese government worrying in private about how much or how little to tell the United States in order to prevent undermining of its climate change proposal or its diplomatic relationship. And yet we now know that the United States heard everything and read everything, and was passing around the deliberations of Japanese leadership to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK,” said Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who is living in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to avoid extradition to Sweden for questioning about sexual-assault allegations.
“The lesson for Japan is this: do not expect a global surveillance superpower to act with honor or respect. There is only one rule: there are no rules,” he said.
The U.S and Japan have been allies since the end of World War II. Previous Wikileaks finds indicate the U.S. has spied on Germany, France and Brazil, all of which are allies.
