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US will 'not repeat' claims GCHQ wiretapped Donald Trump US will 'not repeat' claims GCHQ wiretapped Donald Trump
(about 1 hour later)
The US has agreed not to repeat claims the UK's communications intelligence agency wiretapped Donald Trump in the weeks after he won the US election. The US has agreed not to repeat claims the UK's communications intelligence agency wiretapped Donald Trump during the presidential election campaign.
GCHQ denied allegations made by the White House that it spied on Mr Trump as president-elect. GCHQ rejected allegations made by the White House, that it spied on Mr Trump, as "nonsense".
No 10 has been assured the allegations would not be repeated, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said. No 10 has been assured the accusation would not be repeated, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said.
He said it had been made clear to US authorities the claims were "ridiculous and should have been ignored".He said it had been made clear to US authorities the claims were "ridiculous and should have been ignored".
GCHQ also rejected the allegations as "nonsense" and "utterly ridiculous". The unusual move by the agency came after White House press secretary Sean Spicer cited claims first made on US TV channel Fox News earlier this week. GCHQ also rejected the allegations as "utterly ridiculous". The unusual move by the agency to comment on the news came after White House press secretary Sean Spicer cited claims first made on US TV channel Fox News earlier this week.
Mr Trump has claimed that Trump Tower in New York was under surveillance. Mr Trump said that Trump Tower in New York was under surveillance, but has provided no evidence for the claim.
But he has provided no evidence for the claim. The allegations of GCHQ involvement were initially made by former judge Andrew Napolitano.
A Senate committee on Thursday concluded that there were "no indications" Trump Tower was under surveillance by the US government before or after the election. Mr Spicer quoted Mr Napolitano as saying: "Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command."
The claims of GCHQ involvement were initially made by former judge Andrew Napolitano. He said Mr Obama "didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI and he didn't use the Department of Justice, he used GCHQ.
Mr Spicer quoted Mr Napolitano as saying: "Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command. "What the heck is GCHQ? That's the initials for the British spying agency. They have 24/7 access to the NSA database."
"He didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI and he didn't use the Department of Justice, he used GCHQ."
A GCHQ spokesman said: "Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense.A GCHQ spokesman said: "Recent allegations made by media commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense.
"They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored.""They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."
Analysis: A rare response from GCHQ
By Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent:
It's a bad day for the transatlantic intelligence community when Britain's largest and best funded spy agency - GCHQ - has to come out and publicly contradict a claim made by its closest ally.
GCHQ, MI6 and MI5 rarely, if ever, comment on ongoing intelligence stories in the news.
But the allegation made by Mr Spicer was seen as so potentially damaging - as well as being untrue - that it was decided to make an exception.
The BBC understands that a discussion was held earlier this week in No 10 on whether and how to respond.
When Mr Spicer repeated his claim of GCHQ collusion on Thursday the strongly-worded denial was written and published.
Career intelligence officers on both sides of the Atlantic will now be at pains to protect their historically-close relationship from any further perceived gaffes coming out of the White House.
Former MI5 intelligence officer Ben Owen said he would be "shocked" if the claims turned out to be true.
"It's not something GCHQ would do", he told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme. "They have to stick to the letter of the law."
He said that leaks by Edward Snowden, a former contractor for the CIA, had eroded public trust in intelligence agencies.
"These stories have more credence with the public," he said.
But ex-Ministry of Defence intelligence office Crispin Black said that "we just don't know" if the US authorities are correct about British involvement.
"Sometimes intelligence agencies - it may well not be the case this time - do operate outside the law and outside the bounds of common sense," he said.
GCHQ is one of three UK intelligence and security agencies, along with MI5 and MI6. It delivers signals intelligence - the intercepting of communication between people or electronic devices - to the prime minister and foreign secretary.GCHQ is one of three UK intelligence and security agencies, along with MI5 and MI6. It delivers signals intelligence - the intercepting of communication between people or electronic devices - to the prime minister and foreign secretary.
The agency credits its "particularly strong" relationship with its US equivalent, the National Security Agency, to the collaboration it began at Bletchley Park during World War Two.The agency credits its "particularly strong" relationship with its US equivalent, the National Security Agency, to the collaboration it began at Bletchley Park during World War Two.
During the war, Bletchley Park housed the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) which worked on cracking the military codes that secured German, Japanese and other enemy nation's communications. Mr Trump's earlier claim that his phones were tapped were earlier dismissed by Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr.
Analysis A Senate committee on Thursday concluded that there were "no indications" Trump Tower was under surveillance by the US government before or after the election.
By Gordon Corera, BBC security correspondent, in Washington
It is unusual for GCHQ to comment directly on a report about its intelligence work, normally preferring to stick to the policy of neither confirming nor denying any activity.
The phrase "utterly ridiculous" is also very unusual for the agency.
But it's a sign of just how seriously they take it. The allegations are so sensitive that the agency clearly felt they could not let them go unchallenged.
Donald Trump's claim that the Obama administration had ordered surveillance on him has generated enormous attention but with so far no evidence to back it up.
And British intelligence is clearly determined to avoid being drawn into what is an increasingly toxic row in Washington.
On Thursday Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr dismissed Mr Trump's claim his phones were tapped.
Mr Trump had accused his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the presidential race.Mr Trump had accused his predecessor Barack Obama of wiretapping Trump Tower during the presidential race.
Mr Spicer said Mr Trump stuck by his allegations.Mr Spicer said Mr Trump stuck by his allegations.