Sweden’s defence minister has demanded that Denmark explain why its foreign secret service allegedly helped the US spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, more than seven years ago.
“We want the cards on the table,” said defence minister Peter Hulqvist, who added it was “unacceptable to eavesdrop on allies”.
Danish legislator Karsten Hoenge, of the left-leaning Socialist People’s Party that is supporting Denmark’s Social Democratic government, said he would quiz the Scandinavian country’s defence and justice ministers in parliament about the case.
“The government must explain how come Denmark has been acting as a willing tool for a US intelligence service, and what it will mean for co-operation with Denmark’s neighbouring countries,” he said.
This was revealed in a report by Danish state broadcaster DR.
The findings are the result of an internal investigation in the Danish Defense Intelligence Service from 2015 into NSA’s role in the partnership, DR said, citing nine unnamed sources with access to the investigation.
This is unsurprising, as the fact that the US spies on its allies regularly has been known fact, for a while now.
The timeline in the investigation covers 2012-14, and then the NSA used Danish information cables to spy on senior officials in Sweden, Norway, France and Germany.
Asked for comment on the DR report, a spokesperson for the German chancellery said it only became aware of the allegations when asked about them by journalists, and declined to comment further.
Shockingly Expected: U.S. NSA And Danish Intelligence Spied On EU Allies
Published: June 1, 2021
The US National Security Agency (NSA), with assistance from Denmark’s foreign intelligence unit spied on senior officials of European countries, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, among others.
This was revealed in a report by Danish state broadcaster DR.
The findings are the result of an internal investigation in the Danish Defense Intelligence Service from 2015 into NSA’s role in the partnership, DR said, citing nine unnamed sources with access to the investigation.
This is unsurprising, as the fact that the US spies on its allies regularly has been known fact, for a while now.