Spying on European Allies: The Americans and Danes Urged Clarification

According to an investigation by Danish public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) that broadcast Sunday evening along with several other European media outlets, Washington used at least until 2014 the Danish submarine cable network to listen to personalities from four countries (Germany, Sweden, Norway and France), among them. Angela Merkel.

If the information is correct […] Unacceptable among allies And the Even less among European allies and partnersThis came in a reaction at the end of a meeting of the Franco-German Cabinet in Paris, Emmanuel Macron, whose words the German Chancellor immediately agreed to.

There is no room for doubt

I am connected to the bonds of trust that unite Europeans and Americans And the There is no room for doubt, The French President added. This is why what we expect is complete clarity. We have asked our Danish and American partners to provide all information about these discoveries and these past facts and we await these answers..

I can’t help but connect myself with the words of Emmanuel MacronAngela Merkel answered. I am reassured by the fact that the Danish government, including the Minister of Defense, has also made clear their opinion on these matters. […] It is a good basis not only for clarifying facts, but also for building trusting relationships., She added.

In response to an AFP question the same day, the White House, the US State Department and the CIA declined to comment.

Washington’s spying on its European allies at the highest level has been widely known since the revelation of informant Edward Snowden, but the role that some European Union countries may have played in the process is growing even more.

SMS, calls and internet traffic

According to the doctor, the NSA gained access to text messages, phone calls and internet traffic, including searches, chats and messaging services from officials, including then German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

What do you know Copenhagen?

This commander’s espionage was made possible thanks to the cooperation of services in the program XKeyscoreCould it happen without him knowing?

Dr DR’s revelations were based on a classified Danish Military Intelligence (FE) report. Baptized Dunhammer process, Was ordered on an unknown date by the FE administration after the Snowden case – indicating the service may not have been aware of it – and then delivered in May 2015.

In response to a question by AFP, VE declined to comment. Defense Secretary Trane Bramson ruled without speaking directly to the facts UnacceptableIn a brief press release, Systematic Espionage of Close Allies.

It is unacceptable for states with close cooperation among allies to feel the need to spy on each other.Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg estimated.

That is why we want to know as much as possible about Denmark. Form a commission of inquiry. We asked for the information that you haveAccording to her, it was reported by NRK Radio and Television.

Sweden also said it had requested an explanation.

The case sheds new light on the August 2020 sacking of FE President Lars Wiensen, his predecessor, Thomas Arinkel – then promised ambassadorial position in … Berlin – and three other agents. They were fired by Mrs. Bramsen who, according to the doctor, reported the right to spy Europeans at the same time.

The exact reason for their exclusion has never been announced. But the government criticized them for their existence The hidden essential and crucial information And the I provided incorrect information Based on information obtained between 2014 and 2020.

The service has also been criticized for obtaining this Not allowed Information about Danish citizens and not Follow up or investigate other indications of espionage.

These are new pieces of the puzzle. This is exactly the same scandal that shows German services helped Americans spy a few years ago.

The only Scandinavian country that is a member of both NATO and the European Union, Denmark is one of the United States’ closest allies in Europe.

As for Edward Snowden, who now lives in Russia, Twitter called Copenhagen and Washington for transparency completion In this file.