British Spies Threaten to End Cooperation With Germany Over NSA Probe
20:14 05.02.2015(updated 20:50 05.02.2015)
Reportedly, British GCHQ can sever relations with Germany if the Bundestag continues its investigation into the NSA spying program. London fears that the German parliament will reveal sensitive encryption information and other techniques used by the both agencies.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The British intelligence agency GCHQ has warned their German colleagues they will break off contact if the German parliament continues its inquiry into the NSA dragnet surveillance program, Germany's online news magazine FOCUS said Thursday.
German's Bundestag is conducting an investigation into the US National Security Agency's online spying program exposed in 2013 by ex-NSA employee Edward Snowden. The agency spied on millions of Americans, Europeans and others worldwide with the assistance of Britain's spy agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
FOCUS said it had been informed about consultations on Wednesday night between German foreign intelligence chief Gerhard Schindler and the committee behind the NSA probe.
According to the German outlet, the intel chief told the leaders of the inquiry about a strain in relations with his British colleagues. He said Brits feared that the German parliament would reveal sensitive encryption information and other techniques used by both intelligence agencies.
London is particularly concerned that the parliamentary probe may blow the lid off a Europe-wide surveillance program dating back to 2013, which was run by GCHQ in cooperation with Germany's spy agency BND.
Above all, Germany was outraged after NSA was caught tapping the private cell phone of Chancellor Angela Merkel, an activity reported to be against existing agreements between the spy agencies.
© Sputnik
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