Now, Germany summons US envoy over spying charges
26 Oct 2013 4:12 AM IST
At the same time, a senior lawmaker expressed concern at the White House’s statement that it isn’t monitoring and won’t monitor Merkel’s communications - a response that didn’t address what might have happened in the past. And the defense minister added that Europe can’t simply return to business as usual in trans-Atlantic ties following a string of reports that the US was spying on its allies.
Merkel’s government says she complained to President Barack Obama on Wednesday after receiving information her cellphone may have been monitored.
The Foreign Ministry said US Ambassador John B. Emerson is expected to meet on Thursday afternoon with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who will ‘spell out the position of the German government.’ The US Embassy said it had no comment.
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television the alleged surveillance would be ‘really bad’ if confirmed. ‘The Americans are and remain our best friends, but this is absolutely not right,’ he said.
‘I have reckoned for years with my cellphone being monitored, but I wasn’t reckoning with the Americans,’ said de Maiziere, who was previously Merkel’s chief of staff and Germany’s interior minister.
‘We can’t simply return to business as usual,’ de Maiziere said when asked about possible effects on US-German and US-European relations.
Merkel’s government says she complained to President Barack Obama on Wednesday after receiving information her cellphone may have been monitored.
The Foreign Ministry said US Ambassador John B. Emerson is expected to meet on Thursday afternoon with Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who will ‘spell out the position of the German government.’ The US Embassy said it had no comment.
Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere told ARD television the alleged surveillance would be ‘really bad’ if confirmed. ‘The Americans are and remain our best friends, but this is absolutely not right,’ he said.
‘I have reckoned for years with my cellphone being monitored, but I wasn’t reckoning with the Americans,’ said de Maiziere, who was previously Merkel’s chief of staff and Germany’s interior minister.
‘We can’t simply return to business as usual,’ de Maiziere said when asked about possible effects on US-German and US-European relations.
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