Spying On German Chancellor Angela Merkel And European Officials, US Intelligence 'Take Advantage Of' Denmark

JAKARTA - The United States National Security Agency (NSA) has used a partnership with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit to spy on senior officials from neighboring countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to Danish state media DR.

These are the findings of an internal investigation at the Danish Defense Intelligence Service from 2015 into the NSA's role in the partnership, said DR, citing nine unnamed sources with access to the investigation.

According to investigations spanning 2012 and 2014, the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and former German opposition leader Peer Steinbrück. .

Asked for comment on the reports, a spokesman for the German Chancellor said they only learned about the allegations when asked about them by journalists, and declined to comment further.

Denmark, a close ally of the United States (US), hosts several major landing stations for undersea internet cables to and from Sweden, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK.

An internal investigation at the Danish Defense Intelligence Service was launched in 2014, following concerns about the Edward Snowden leak the previous year that exposed the workings of the NSA, according to DR.

In Washington, the NSA did not immediately return a request for comment. Meanwhile, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) declined to comment. A spokesman for the Danish Defense Intelligence Service also declined to comment.

"It is strange that friendly intelligence services intercept and spy on representatives of other countries," Steinbrueck told German broadcaster ARD.

"Politically, I consider it a scandal," said Steinbrueck

Meanwhile, Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist told Swedish media SVT he demands full information on these matters.

Meanwhile, Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen told broadcaster NRK that he was taking this accusation seriously.

The decision in August last year to suspend the head of the Danish Defense Intelligence Service and three other officials from their posts following criticism and allegations of serious wrongdoing from the independent council that oversees the unit, centered on the 2015 investigation, according to DR.

To note, last year the Danish Government announced it would start an investigation into the case based on information from the whistleblower's report. The investigation is expected to be completed by the end of this year.