The US National Security Agency (National Security Agency, NSA) spied on political leaders in Europe, including the chancellor Angela Merkel, from 2012 to 2014 thanks to the help of the Danish intelligence services, revealed yesterday Sunday the media in this country and in Europe.
The Danish public television network DR (Danmarks Radio) reported that the NSA used the Danish telecommunications infrastructure to monitor leaders and senior government officials in Germany, Sweden, Norway and France.
To do so, the NSA took advantage of its cooperation with the Danish military intelligence service FE.
The DR revealed this information following a joint investigation with the Swedish public television SVT, the Norwegian public television NRK, the German television networks NDR and WDR, the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and the French newspaper Le Monde.
Danish Defense Minister Trine Brahmsen, who took office in June 2019, was briefed on the story in August 2020, according to DR.
The Danish Ministry of Defense, contacted by Agence France-Presse, declined to comment. But Ms Brahms told the DR that “systematic espionage by allies is unacceptable”.
Angela Merkel, then-Secretary of State Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then-opposition leader Peer Steinbrook were among those spied on by the NSA, the DR said.
The NSA listed access to messages, phone calls, and their Internet usage history, including searches, messaging in chat or messaging apps, and social networking sites, the DR listed.
The NSA spy is contained in an internal FE document entitled “Operation Dunhammer” submitted to its administration in May 2015, according to the Danish public television network.
The DR said the information it gathered was confirmed by nine sources and that it was able to access secret FE documents. The data, he clarified, were confirmed independently by several other sources.
In November 2020, the DR revealed that the US had used Denmark’s cable infrastructure to spy on the Danish and European defense industries from 2012 to 2015.
In 2014, an internal investigation was launched into the Danish military intelligence service, following the revelations of Edward Snowden about the way the NSA operates, according to Danish public television.
The NSA did not respond when asked for comment by Reuters.
“It is grotesque that friendly country intelligence services are indeed spying on top officials,” Steinbrueck told Germany’s public television network ARD. “Politically, I consider it a scandal,” he added.
Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultkvist told SVT that he “demanded a full briefing” on the case. Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bake-Jensen told NRK that he “takes these allegations very seriously”.
In August 2020, the head of the Danish military intelligence service and three other top officials were relieved of their duties in the case. The Danish government announced last year that it would conduct an investigation, which is expected to be completed in 2021.
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