NSA 'never discussed' Merkel's phone snoop-op with Obama

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ANI London
Last Updated : Oct 28 2013 | 11:05 AM IST

The US' National Security Agency (NSA) official has reportedly revealed that they never discussed the alleged interception of phone conversations of German chancellor Angela Merkel with President Barack Obama.

A NSA spokeswoman, Vanee Vines said that the agency Chief Gen. Keith Alexander never discussed the alleged operations with Obama involving Merkel.

This comes amidst the claims through whistleblower Edward Snowden's documents that the US' NSA tapped on phones of Merkel apart from 35 other global leaders.

According to the BBC, a German tabloid has claimed that Gen. Alexander had told Obama about the snoop-op himself in 2010, but, an NSA source said that the president did not stop the operation but allowed it to continue as he did not trust Merkel.

However, the NSA denying the tabloid's claim has said that the agency chief did not discuss the operation with Obama involving Merkel adding that the news reports claiming otherwise are untrue.

Meanwhile, Obama is known to have apologized to Merkel and told her of being unaware of such an operation.

As a result of the revelations by Snowden, the US' ties with its allies have soured and nations are known to be taking leverage of the situation and demanding explanations for the secret surveillance programmes.

Germany is also set to send its top intelligence chiefs to the US to push forward the investigation into the spying allegations about the German citizens as well as leaders.

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First Published: Oct 28 2013 | 10:56 AM IST

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