BERLIN: Germany has summoned US ambassador and sought clarification over claims that the United States may have monitored the mobile phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Earlier, Merkel called US President Barack Obama over her government’s suspicions the US National Security Agency could have been spying on Merkel’s phone calls, while Obama assured Merkel that his country is not monitoring her communications.
In a statement, Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said “We swiftly sent a request to our American partners asking for an immediate and comprehensive clarification.”
Seibert said that the German Chancellor had a telephonic conversation with President Obama over the issue and demanded an explanation.
Merkel had made clear to President Obama that if the information proved trued it would be “completely unacceptable” and represent a “grave breach of trust, Seibert added.
On the other hand, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that Obama assured the German leader “the United States is not monitoring the communications of the chancellor.”
