© Chappatte in The International New York Times
BACKGROUND
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called US President Barack Obama on Wednesday after receiving information that the US may have spied on her mobile phone. A spokesman for Mrs Merkel said the German leader "views such practices... as completely unacceptable". Mrs Merkel called on US officials to clarify the extent of their surveillance in Germany. The White House said President Obama had told Chancellor Merkel the US was not snooping on her communications. Full story >>
THE CARTOON
The cartoon by Chappatte from the International Herald Tribune shows the moment when Obama receives Merkel's call in the Oval Office. An aide and an NSA operative (who is tapping the German Chancellor's phone) simultaneously tell him, "Merkel on the phone. She's very angry."
EXPLANATION
The joke is that Merkel phones to complain about her phone being tapped while it is actually being tapped.
