Glenn Greenwald has declined to testify for the German Parliament’s Board of Inquiry which is supposed to clarify extent and background of foreign espionage, in particular that of NSA after Edward Snowden’s leak.

“I am very supportive of any attempt by the German Parliament to conduct a serious investigation into NSA spying on Germans.

Unfortunately, German politicians have demonstrated, with their refusal to interview the key witness in person – Edward Snowden – that they care far more about not upsetting the U.S. than they do about conducting a serious investigation.

As a result, I am not willing to participate in a ritual that is intended to cast the illusion of an investigation, but which is actually designed to avoid any real investigation, placate the German public with empty symbolism, and keep the culprit – the U.S. Government – happy.

In the event that the German Parliament finds the courage to do what it should obviously do – interview Snowden in person, on German soil, regardless of how the U.S. Government would react – I would be happy to reconsider this invitation.”

While good transatlantic relationships are still considered essential in Germany’s political class, even part of its national interest, it won’t help, especially not with this rather determined U.S. administration.

When the CIA station chief in Berlin’s U.S. Embassy had recently been asked to leave the country, eyebrows were raised, both in Washington and among common Germans who had not expected that Chancellor Merkel has got a spine. Now it’s time to stay consistent.

If Greenwald is right and the entire Board of Inquiry is a charade (parliamentary boards in Germany have actually a respective tradition) this would be quite alarming. The Obama administration might conclude that Germany has already surrendered and perpetuation of spying on each and every citizen (not just tapping Angela Merkel’s “handy”) is granted ad infinitum.