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[h=4]Germany summons U.S. ambassador over spying claims[/h]German Foreign Ministry summons U.S. ambassador after allegations NSA targeted Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone.
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Jesse Singal, Special for USA TODAY 5:39 a.m. EDT October 24, 2013
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.(Photo: Julian Stratenschulte, AP)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
BERLIN —The U.S. ambassador to Germany was summoned to a meeting in Berlin Thursday following allegations that the U.S. had tapped the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The ambassador John Emerson is to meet with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle later Thursday, after Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the chancellor had spoken Wednesday evening with President Obama via telephone and said that if the allegations were found to be true it would be "completely unacceptable."
"Among close friends and partners, as Germany and the U.S. have been for decades, there should be no such monitoring of government communications," he said. "This would be a serious breach of trust. Such practices must be stopped immediately."
He added that high level talks with representatives of the White House and the U.S. State Department had already taken place in Berlin to clarify the facts but that talks would be ongoing.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials said Merkel's phone is not currently being tapped and would not be in the future but didn't comment on the allegations that it had previously been.
Whitehouse spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that "the president assured the chancellor that the United States is not monitoring, and will not monitor, the communications of the chancellor."
Emerson will be the second U.S. ambassador ordered to report to officials of a major EU country this week as a result of the ongoing fallout over the NSA files leaked by government contractor Edward Snowden.
Charles H. Rivkin was summoned to meet with French officials after a major French newspaper reported that the National Security Agency had collected tens of millions of communications from French citizens, and had spied on diplomats.
[h=6]USA NOW[/h]
[h=5]Deadly dog treats investigated by FDA | USA NOW video[/h][h=5]Oct 23, 2013[/h]
[h=6]Share This Story![/h]Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about
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Jesse Singal, Special for USA TODAY 5:39 a.m. EDT October 24, 2013
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.(Photo: Julian Stratenschulte, AP)
[h=3]Story Highlights[/h]
- Obama spoke with Merkel Wednesday evening
- Aambassador John Emerson to meet with FM Guido Westerwelle.
- Ambassador Rivkin was summoned to meet with French officials
BERLIN —The U.S. ambassador to Germany was summoned to a meeting in Berlin Thursday following allegations that the U.S. had tapped the phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The ambassador John Emerson is to meet with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle later Thursday, after Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the chancellor had spoken Wednesday evening with President Obama via telephone and said that if the allegations were found to be true it would be "completely unacceptable."
"Among close friends and partners, as Germany and the U.S. have been for decades, there should be no such monitoring of government communications," he said. "This would be a serious breach of trust. Such practices must be stopped immediately."
He added that high level talks with representatives of the White House and the U.S. State Department had already taken place in Berlin to clarify the facts but that talks would be ongoing.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials said Merkel's phone is not currently being tapped and would not be in the future but didn't comment on the allegations that it had previously been.
Whitehouse spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that "the president assured the chancellor that the United States is not monitoring, and will not monitor, the communications of the chancellor."
Emerson will be the second U.S. ambassador ordered to report to officials of a major EU country this week as a result of the ongoing fallout over the NSA files leaked by government contractor Edward Snowden.
Charles H. Rivkin was summoned to meet with French officials after a major French newspaper reported that the National Security Agency had collected tens of millions of communications from French citizens, and had spied on diplomats.
[h=6]USA NOW[/h]
[h=5]Deadly dog treats investigated by FDA | USA NOW video[/h][h=5]Oct 23, 2013[/h]