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US may have monitored Merkel's phone, says German government US may have monitored Merkel's phone, says German government
(35 minutes later)
The German government has said it has obtained information the United States may have monitored the mobile phone of the chancellor, Angela Merkel, and that she called Barack Obama to demand an immediate clarification. The German government claims to have obtained information suggesting that the United States may have monitored the mobile phone of Angela Merkel. The chancellor called Barack Obama to demand an immediate clarification, it said.
"We swiftly sent a request to our American partners asking for an immediate and comprehensive clarification," Steffen Seibert, a German government spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday. "We swiftly sent a request to our American partners asking for an immediate and comprehensive clarification," Steffen Seibert, a German government spokesman, said in a statement on Wednesday.
He added that Merkel had made clear to Obama that if the information proved true it would be "completely unacceptable" and represent a "grave breach of trust". Seibert said the chancellor had made clear that "she unambiguously condemns such practices, if they prove to be true, and considers them completely unacceptable. They would constitute a grave breach of trust. Such practices would have to be stopped immediately."
Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said that the chancellor had made clear that "she unambiguously condemns such practices if they prove to be true and considers them completely unacceptable. They would constitute a grave breach of trust. Such practices would have to be stopped immediately." A statement issued by the White House on Wednesday said: "Today, President Obama and Chancellor Merkel spoke by telephone regarding allegations that the US National Security Agency intercepted the communications of the German chancellor. The president assured the chancellor that the United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel.
The White House later said Obama had assured Merkel that the US was not monitoring her communications. White House spokesman Jay Carney confirmed Obama and Merkel had spoken by phone on Wednesday. "The United States greatly values our close co-operation with Germany on a broad range of shared security challenges. As the president has said, the United States is reviewing the way that we gather intelligence to ensure that we properly balance the security concerns of our citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that all people share.
Carney said: "The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the chancellor." "Both leaders agreed to intensify further the co-operation between our intelligence services with the goal of protecting the security of both countries and of our partners, as well as protecting the privacy of our citizens."
But asked by the Guardian if the US had monitored the German chancellor's phone "in the past", Caitlin Hayden, the White House's National Security Council spokeswoman, said: "The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel. Beyond that, I'm not in a position to comment publicly on every specific alleged intelligence activity."Earlier this week the White House conceded that revelations about how its intelligence agencies have intercepted enormous amounts of French phone traffic raised "legitimate questions for our friends and allies". But asked by the Guardian if the US had monitored the German chancellor's phone in the past, Caitlin Hayden, the White House's National Security Council spokeswoman, said: "The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel. Beyond that, I'm not in a position to comment publicly on every specific alleged intelligence activity."
Thomas Oppermann, of Merkel's likely coalition partner, the SPD, said: "If these allegations turn out to be true, they would constitute a major breach of trust, and that's why this matter has to be cleared up very quickly and very thoroughly."
The German chancellery was alerted to the possibility of Angela Merkel's phone being monitored after a report by Der Spiegel.
Earlier this week, the White House conceded that revelations about how its intelligence agencies have intercepted enormous amounts of French phone traffic raised "legitimate questions for our friends and allies".
In a statement released after a phone call between Obama and his counterpart, François Hollande, the White House acknowledged the diplomatic impact of the disclosures by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.In a statement released after a phone call between Obama and his counterpart, François Hollande, the White House acknowledged the diplomatic impact of the disclosures by the former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
"The president and President Hollande discussed recent disclosures in the press – some of which have distorted our activities, and some of which raise legitimate questions for our friends and allies about how these capabilities are employed," the White House said in a statement. "The president and President Hollande discussed recent disclosures in the press, some of which have distorted our activities, and some of which raise legitimate questions for our friends and allies about how these capabilities are employed," the White House said in a statement.
"The president made clear that the United States has begun to review the way that we gather intelligence, so that we properly balance the legitimate security concerns of our citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that all people share. The two presidents agreed that we should continue to discuss these issues in diplomatic channels.""The president made clear that the United States has begun to review the way that we gather intelligence, so that we properly balance the legitimate security concerns of our citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that all people share. The two presidents agreed that we should continue to discuss these issues in diplomatic channels."
On Tuesday National Intelligence Director James Clapper disputed the reports in Le Monde, saying they "contain inaccurate and misleading information regarding US foreign intelligence activities." On Tuesday, the US director of national intelligence, James Clapper, disputed the reports in Le Monde, saying they "contain inaccurate and misleading information regarding US foreign intelligence activities".
"The allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million 'recordings of French citizens' telephone data' is false," Clapper said in an emailed statement. "The allegation that the National Security Agency collected more than 70 million 'recordings of French citizens' telephone data' is false," he said in an emailed statement.
He declined to discuss details of NSA activities, but said, "We have repeatedly made it clear that the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations ... to protect the nation, its interests and its allies from, among other things, threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction." He declined to discuss details of NSA activities, but said: "We have repeatedly made it clear that the United States gathers intelligence of the type gathered by all nations … to protect the nation, its interests and its allies from, among other things, threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
Hollande's office said the French leader asked Obama to make available all information on NSA spying of French communications. Hollande's office said the French leader asked Obama to make available all information on the NSA monitoring of French communications.
"This sort of practice between partners that invades privacy is totally unacceptable and we have to make sure, very quickly, that this no longer happens," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. "We fully agree that we cooperate to fight terrorism. It is indispensable. But this does not justify that personal data of millions of our compatriots are snooped on." "This sort of practice between partners that invades privacy is totally unacceptable and we have to make sure, very quickly, that this no longer happens," said the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius. "We fully agree that we co-operate to fight terrorism. It is indispensable. But this does not justify that personal data of millions of our compatriots are snooped on."
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