…The scandal surrounding the revelations of Edward Snowden have made the question of why American intelligence was so active in Europe, which is considered an ally of the United States, more pointed. Without claiming to have a full answer, one can still assert that it is, in addition to everything else, in order to detect violations of American laws which are extraterritorial in nature. Information on such violations is needed by the ruling elite of the U.S. in order to establish effective economic and political control over Europe and the world.