BERLIN: The German government has confirmed that German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone was wiretapped by the U.S. security services and Merkel asked the White House “to give immediate and full explanation,” spokesman for the German government Steffen Seibert said Wednesday.
Merkel called Obama on Wednesday to ask for clarification on the extent of U.S. surveillance in her country after getting a report indicating that American intelligence might be accessing her mobile phone communications. President Obama had to assure German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the U.S. wasn’t tapping her phone.
That report’s origins haven’t been revealed, but German paper Der Spiegel has indicated that it was based on its research into U.S. spying. A spokesperson for Merkel told the AP that the Chancellor told the president “she views such practices, if the indications are confirmed … as completely unacceptable.” Obama responded with a partial denial of that report, telling Merkel that “the United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of Chancellor Merkel.” A statement from the White House added:
