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NSA 'monitored 60m Spanish calls in a month' | NSA 'monitored 60m Spanish calls in a month' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The US National Security Agency (NSA) secretly monitored 60 million phone calls in Spain in one month, Spanish media say. | The US National Security Agency (NSA) secretly monitored 60 million phone calls in Spain in one month, Spanish media say. |
The reports say the latest allegations came from documents provided by the fugitive US analyst Edward Snowden. | The reports say the latest allegations came from documents provided by the fugitive US analyst Edward Snowden. |
They say the NSA collected the numbers and locations of the callers and the recipients, but not the calls' content. | |
This comes as an EU parliamentary delegation is due to meet officials in Washington to convey concerns. | |
The officials from the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will speak to members of the US Congress to gather information. | |
In Madrid, the US ambassador to Spain has been summoned to meet government officials to discuss earlier allegations about US spying on Spanish citizens and politicians. | |
It is not clear how the alleged surveillance was carried out, whether it was from monitoring fibre-optic cables, data (including metadata) obtained from telecoms companies, or other means. | It is not clear how the alleged surveillance was carried out, whether it was from monitoring fibre-optic cables, data (including metadata) obtained from telecoms companies, or other means. |
Citizens | Citizens |
Meanwhile, a Japanese news agency says the NSA asked the Japanese government in 2011 to help it monitor fibre-optic cables carrying personal data through Japan, to the Asia-Pacific region. | |
The reports, carried by the Kyodo news agency, say that this was intended to allow the US to spy on China - but Japan refused, citing legal restrictions and a shortage of personnel. | The reports, carried by the Kyodo news agency, say that this was intended to allow the US to spy on China - but Japan refused, citing legal restrictions and a shortage of personnel. |
The White House has so far declined to comment on Monday's claims about US spying in Spain, published in the newspapers El Pais and El Mundo. | The White House has so far declined to comment on Monday's claims about US spying in Spain, published in the newspapers El Pais and El Mundo. |
It is alleged that the NSA tracked millions of phone calls, texts and emails from Spanish citizens between 10 December 2012 and 8 January 2013. | |
The allegations follow German media reports that the US was bugging Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone for more than a decade - and that the surveillance only ended a few months ago. | |
Mrs Merkel is sending her country's top intelligence chiefs to Washington this week to "push forward" an investigation into the spying allegations, which have caused outrage in Germany. | Mrs Merkel is sending her country's top intelligence chiefs to Washington this week to "push forward" an investigation into the spying allegations, which have caused outrage in Germany. |
Mass surveillance | Mass surveillance |
Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Friday that the NSA had monitored the phones of 35 world leaders. Again Mr Snowden was the source of the report. | Britain's Guardian newspaper reported on Friday that the NSA had monitored the phones of 35 world leaders. Again Mr Snowden was the source of the report. |
The head of the European Parliament's delegation, British MEP Claude Moraes, told the BBC it was the scale of the NSA's alleged surveillance that was worrying. | |
"The headline news, that 35 leaders had their phones tapped, is not the real crux of the issue," he said. | "The headline news, that 35 leaders had their phones tapped, is not the real crux of the issue," he said. |
"It really is the El Mundo type story, that millions of citizens of countries... had their landlines and other communications tapped. So it's about mass surveillance. It's about scale and proportionality." | "It really is the El Mundo type story, that millions of citizens of countries... had their landlines and other communications tapped. So it's about mass surveillance. It's about scale and proportionality." |
He said a priority of the European mission was to discuss the impact of American spying on EU citizens' fundamental right to privacy. | He said a priority of the European mission was to discuss the impact of American spying on EU citizens' fundamental right to privacy. |
The BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris says that with every new allegation, demands are growing in Europe - and in Germany in particular - for explanations and for guarantees of a change in culture. | The BBC's Europe correspondent Chris Morris says that with every new allegation, demands are growing in Europe - and in Germany in particular - for explanations and for guarantees of a change in culture. |
EU leaders have said that distrust of the US over spying could harm the fight against terrorism. | EU leaders have said that distrust of the US over spying could harm the fight against terrorism. |