Whistleblower claims NSA 'in bed together' with German intelligence

Whistleblower Edward Snowden has reportedly claimed that US' National Security Agency (NSA) is 'in bed together' with the German intelligence and has been snooping on the web and telephone data of Germans.

According to the Independent, Snowden has claimed that NSA provided German intelligence with analysis tools to help them track the data flowing through Germany.

He further said that NSA's foreign affairs directorate had developed a system where political leaders could be insulated from the backlash if ever the snooping was exposed in order to help them play down how grievously they were 'violating global privacy'.

According to the report, Snowden has claimed to expose UK's GCHQ activities, calling it to be the only organisation operating a 'full take' system of information monitoring which stored all data crossing its path for a total of 30 days.

Although German intelligence has been able to prevent planned terror attacks on German soil with the help of NSA intelligence, Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed concern over the revelations of snooping activities carried out in Germany and has said that US and UK spying is reminiscent of the Cold War and should be controlled.

Merkel is scheduled to fly to Washington this week in order to seek 'explanation' from the US authorities.

The report added that Russian MP Alexei Pushkov said that he would encourage Snowden to accept Venezuela's recent offer of asylum adding that it was probably his 'last chance'.

Snowden is still holed up at Sheremetyevo airport's transit area in Moscow because of a revoked passport and has applied to 21 countries for asylum request but more than a dozen have turned it down.