AS DON IMUS USED TO SAY...

this is not helpful.  I think Pres. Obama has gone tone deaf because this statement reeks of American arrogance:

Obama suggests spying on nations' allies is common
TOM RAUM 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama brushed aside sharp European criticism on Monday, suggesting that all nations spy on each other as the French and Germans expressed outrage over alleged U.S. eavesdropping on European Union diplomats.

"We should stipulate that every intelligence service —not just ours, but every European intelligence service, every Asian intelligence service, wherever there's an intelligence service — here's one thing that they're going to be doing: They're going to be trying to understand the world better, and what's going on in world capitals around the world," he said. "If that weren't the case, then there'd be no use for an intelligence service."