Berlin is taking seriously indications that Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone might have been tapped by US intelligence, according to SPIEGEL information. Merkel spoke with President Barack Obama on Wednesday about her concerns.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel phoned United States President Barack Obama on Wednesday to discuss suspicions that she may have been targeted by US intelligence agencies for years, SPIEGEL has learned.
The chancellor asked for a thorough explanation of serious indications that US intelligence agencies had declared her private mobile phone to be a target in their operations.
Merkel made it clear that, should these indications turn out to be true, she "unequivocally disapproves" of such methods and finds them "totally unacceptable," her spokesman Steffen Seibert said. "This would be a grave breach of trust," he added. "Such practices must immediately be put to a stop."
The unusually strong reaction from the Chancellery was prompted by SPIEGEL research. After the information was examined by the country's foreign intelligence agency, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), and the Federal Office for Information Security, Berlin seems to have found their suspicions plausible enough to confront the US government.
During her conversation with Obama, Merkel expressed her expectation that "US authorities would provide an explanation about the possible extent of such surveillance practices, and thus answer questions that the German government already posed months ago," Seibert said.
"As a close ally of the United States of America, the German government expects a clear contractual agreement on the activities of the agencies and their cooperation," he added.
In response to the allegations, a spokeswoman for the US National Security Council told SPIEGEL: "The President assured the Chancellor that the United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel."
The spokeswoman did not wish to specify whether this statement applied to the past.
I wonder how the US Govt would react if they found out that another country was tapping and listening into Obama's phone calls and messages.
Someone has to check up on them forget about persecuting Arabs and the "war on terror"... Germany has already caused two world wars, it would be naive to assume they could never cause another.
Someone has to check up on them forget about persecuting Arabs and the "war on terror"... Germany has already caused two world wars, it would be naive to assume they could never cause another.
And who's checking up on the USA?
Nobody. And look at the mess they've caused because of it.
They shouldn't be surprised. Germany has to have a limit on the members of their army after the World War 1 and 2 mess. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me a third time..... If they did tap it, I'M SURE it was with reason.
They shouldn't be surprised. Germany has to have a limit on the members of their army after the World War 1 and 2 mess. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me a third time..... If they did tap it, I'M SURE it was with reason.
Germany is a member of the NATO with the USA they are allied...
They shouldn't be surprised. Germany has to have a limit on the members of their army after the World War 1 and 2 mess. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me a third time..... If they did tap it, I'M SURE it was with reason.
Germany and the USA are allies... WW2 was 60 years ago and a lot has changed since then.
forget about persecuting Arabs and the "war on terror"... Germany has already caused two world wars, it would be naive to assume they could never cause another.
I mean they have a right to be angry, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
