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| German Man Arrested as Spy Implicates U.S. | German Man Arrested as Spy Implicates U.S. |
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| BERLIN — In the latest turn in the yearlong tensions with Germany over American spying, a German man was arrested this week on suspicion of passing secret documents to a foreign power, believed to be the United States. The American ambassador, John B. Emerson, was summoned to the Foreign Office here and urged to help with what German officials called a swift clarification of the case. | |
| The arrest came as Washington and Berlin were trying to put to rest a year of strains over the National Security Agency’s monitoring of Germans’ electronic data, including Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, and just months after the collapse of an effort by Germany to strike a “no spy” accord with the White House. | The arrest came as Washington and Berlin were trying to put to rest a year of strains over the National Security Agency’s monitoring of Germans’ electronic data, including Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, and just months after the collapse of an effort by Germany to strike a “no spy” accord with the White House. |
| While the White House and American intelligence officials refused to comment on the arrest, one senior American official said that reports in the German news media that the 31-year-old man under arrest had been working for the United States for at least two years “threaten to undo all the repair work” the two sides have been trying to achieve. | While the White House and American intelligence officials refused to comment on the arrest, one senior American official said that reports in the German news media that the 31-year-old man under arrest had been working for the United States for at least two years “threaten to undo all the repair work” the two sides have been trying to achieve. |
| The details of the latest case were murky. The news media reports suggested that the man, a midlevel employee of the Federal Intelligence Service, was originally arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia. The Kremlin has markedly stepped up recruitment of German informants since the uprisings in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions aimed at Russia’s economy. | The details of the latest case were murky. The news media reports suggested that the man, a midlevel employee of the Federal Intelligence Service, was originally arrested on suspicion of spying for Russia. The Kremlin has markedly stepped up recruitment of German informants since the uprisings in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions aimed at Russia’s economy. |
| But according to the news reports and the account of the American official, the man told his interrogators he had been working for the United States for some time. | But according to the news reports and the account of the American official, the man told his interrogators he had been working for the United States for some time. |
| German news reports said that his work included reporting on the investigations into the N.S.A.’s activities in Germany, which are the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, but the American official said he had no knowledge of whether that was the case. He spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid complicating a diplomatically fragile intelligence issue. | German news reports said that his work included reporting on the investigations into the N.S.A.’s activities in Germany, which are the subject of a parliamentary inquiry, but the American official said he had no knowledge of whether that was the case. He spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid complicating a diplomatically fragile intelligence issue. |
| The Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency both declined to comment on the allegations. | The Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency both declined to comment on the allegations. |
| Ms. Merkel was informed of the case on Thursday, her spokesman said, just before she spoke to President Obama by telephone. But the White House described that conversation as one that was primarily about Ukraine and the continuing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Neither German nor American officials would say on the record whether the subject of the arrest came up during the call. But another senior United States official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the president’s conversations were intended to be private, said the issue did not come up on the call, which was previously scheduled to discuss other matters, and that Mr. Obama was not aware of the case at the time of the call. | Ms. Merkel was informed of the case on Thursday, her spokesman said, just before she spoke to President Obama by telephone. But the White House described that conversation as one that was primarily about Ukraine and the continuing negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Neither German nor American officials would say on the record whether the subject of the arrest came up during the call. But another senior United States official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the president’s conversations were intended to be private, said the issue did not come up on the call, which was previously scheduled to discuss other matters, and that Mr. Obama was not aware of the case at the time of the call. |
| If the man had been spying for the United States for two years, as the German news reports say, his recruitment would have predated the disclosures by Edward J. Snowden, the N.S.A. contractor, of the long-running tapping of Ms. Merkel’s cellphone. | If the man had been spying for the United States for two years, as the German news reports say, his recruitment would have predated the disclosures by Edward J. Snowden, the N.S.A. contractor, of the long-running tapping of Ms. Merkel’s cellphone. |
| After the Snowden disclosures, Mr. Obama ordered a complete review of spying on allies and partners. In an interview last week, the new director of the N.S.A., Adm. Michael S. Rogers, said that review had resulted in the termination of a number of spying operations, not because they were illegal, but because they were unwise. | After the Snowden disclosures, Mr. Obama ordered a complete review of spying on allies and partners. In an interview last week, the new director of the N.S.A., Adm. Michael S. Rogers, said that review had resulted in the termination of a number of spying operations, not because they were illegal, but because they were unwise. |
| But in conversations with German officials over the past year, the Obama administration has made it clear that its commitment extends only to Ms. Merkel herself, and not other German officials. That was one of many sources of tension as the two countries, which traditionally share intelligence on terrorism suspects and nuclear proliferation, struggled and failed to reach a new accord. | But in conversations with German officials over the past year, the Obama administration has made it clear that its commitment extends only to Ms. Merkel herself, and not other German officials. That was one of many sources of tension as the two countries, which traditionally share intelligence on terrorism suspects and nuclear proliferation, struggled and failed to reach a new accord. |
| The German Parliament is conducting an inquiry into the N.S.A.’s activities in the country, and it heard its first testimony on Thursday from two Americans who formerly worked for the agency. That testimony came hours after a 27-year-old student in Bavaria was identified by name as one of the spy agency’s surveillance targets, the first German other than Ms. Merkel to be named in that way. | The German Parliament is conducting an inquiry into the N.S.A.’s activities in the country, and it heard its first testimony on Thursday from two Americans who formerly worked for the agency. That testimony came hours after a 27-year-old student in Bavaria was identified by name as one of the spy agency’s surveillance targets, the first German other than Ms. Merkel to be named in that way. |
| The testimony on Thursday lasted late into the evening, delayed in part by an extraordinary meeting between the inquiry panel and the control commission that oversees Germany’s intelligence services. The lawmakers were said to have been informed of the arrest of the accused spy at that meeting; attendees at such sessions are sworn to secrecy. | The testimony on Thursday lasted late into the evening, delayed in part by an extraordinary meeting between the inquiry panel and the control commission that oversees Germany’s intelligence services. The lawmakers were said to have been informed of the arrest of the accused spy at that meeting; attendees at such sessions are sworn to secrecy. |
| Part of the Thursday hearing was conducted in closed session after one of the American witnesses, William E. Binney, a former N.S.A. employee, said he would be discussing important secret information. | Part of the Thursday hearing was conducted in closed session after one of the American witnesses, William E. Binney, a former N.S.A. employee, said he would be discussing important secret information. |
| There was no immediate confirmation from the German government or the prosecutor’s office concerning the reports that the arrested man had been spying for the United States. A statement from the general prosecutor said he was detained on Wednesday by officers from the federal criminal office, the most senior police authority in Germany. It did not give details about his occupation. | There was no immediate confirmation from the German government or the prosecutor’s office concerning the reports that the arrested man had been spying for the United States. A statement from the general prosecutor said he was detained on Wednesday by officers from the federal criminal office, the most senior police authority in Germany. It did not give details about his occupation. |
| On Thursday, the suspect appeared before a federal court in Karlsruhe, where the federal prosecutor’s office is located, and was ordered held “on urgent suspicion” of unauthorized intelligence activities, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. | On Thursday, the suspect appeared before a federal court in Karlsruhe, where the federal prosecutor’s office is located, and was ordered held “on urgent suspicion” of unauthorized intelligence activities, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. |
| Hans-Christian Ströbele, a member of Parliament from the Green Party who sits on both the intelligence oversight body and the N.S.A. inquiry panel, said he had “no reason to deny” the published reports about the spy case. But he and the head of the inquiry panel, Patrick Sensburg of the Christian Democratic Party, each counseled caution. | Hans-Christian Ströbele, a member of Parliament from the Green Party who sits on both the intelligence oversight body and the N.S.A. inquiry panel, said he had “no reason to deny” the published reports about the spy case. But he and the head of the inquiry panel, Patrick Sensburg of the Christian Democratic Party, each counseled caution. |
| Mr. Sensburg said that “some reports are simply false.” And Mr. Ströbele, who traveled to Moscow last fall to meet with Mr. Snowden, said on Friday, “We must have patience and see whether information stands up to scrutiny.” | Mr. Sensburg said that “some reports are simply false.” And Mr. Ströbele, who traveled to Moscow last fall to meet with Mr. Snowden, said on Friday, “We must have patience and see whether information stands up to scrutiny.” |
| “It would be good to have a very quick reaction from across the Atlantic,” he added, though he noted that on the Fourth of July, Americans “have every reason to do something else.” | “It would be good to have a very quick reaction from across the Atlantic,” he added, though he noted that on the Fourth of July, Americans “have every reason to do something else.” |