Spy scandals and Obama administration miscues have dragged U.S.-German relations to their lowest point in decades, tensions that are exacerbated by Germany’s growing importance in trade, diplomacy, and even sport following a dominating World Cup performance this month.

Small misunderstandings between Berlin and the White House, left untended, have grown to affect specific security issues, undermining the interests of both nations.Berlin has been a stalwart U.S. ally since the end of World War II. After the 1990 reunification of East and West, Germany emerged as a global financial power and arguably Europe’s most important nation. Sloppy policy coordination in Washington, beginning with indifference to German sensitivities at the White House, thus puts an important transatlantic relationship at risk. Click HERE to read an exclusive analysis by LIGNET's top intelligence experts.