The relationship between Denmark and its partners in the European Union is not going through its best moment.
Danish and German media assured over the weekend that the Danish secret service would have helped States United to spy on European political leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, between 2012 Y 2014.
The same information indicates that the Defense Intelligence Service (FE) of the Nordic country collaborated with the US National Security Agency (NSA) in gathering information.
The espionage would have also affected other officials from Germany, France, Sweden and Norway.
Already in 2013 Similar information was released, after the secrets leaked by former NSA analyst Edward Snowden about the alleged wiretapping of Merkel’s phone became known.
Then, the White House did not categorically deny the espionage , but said that the telephone number of the head of the German government was not tapped at that time nor would it be in the future.
The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and a Merkel spokesperson declared that they were not aware of the Danish involvement in the espionage until the publication of the DR network report, which was shared by other European media.
The report ensures that the NSA accessed the text messages and telephone conversations of various personalities when tapping Danish internet connection cables in c collaboration with the Danish intelligence service.
The operation would have been dubbed “Operation Dunhammer” and allowed US espionage to obtain data using the telephone numbers of political leaders as search terms.
The Danish network DR interviewed nine different sources. All of them said they had access to confidential information of the FE.
“A scandal”
In addition to Merkel, Frank-Walter Steinmeier , then German Foreign Minister, and Peer Steinbrück, then leader of the German opposition, would have also been targets of US intelligence.
“ Politically, I see this as a scandal ,” Steinbrück told the media in his country.
The Danish Defense Minister, Trine Bramsen , who according to published information had been previously informed of the espionage, stated that “systematic wiretapping of close allies is unacceptable.”
Other European leaders have condemned the alleged espionage.
French President, Emmanuel Macron , said: “This is not It is acceptable among allies, and less among European allies and partners. ”
“ There is no room for suspicions. chas between us. That is why we are waiting for a full clarification. We ask the Danes and Americans to provide all the information about these revelations and these past events, “he added.
After participating in a summit by videoconference with her French counterpart this Monday, Merkel subscribed her words: “I can only agree.”
The Chancellor also said she was “reassured” by the statements of the Danish Defense Minister condemning these practices: “Apart from clarifying the facts, This is a good starting point to reach relationships that are truly based on mutual trust ”.
For his part, the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, told the public broadcaster NRK that “it is unacceptable that countries have close cooperation as allies feel the need to spy on each other.”
Neither the Danish FE nor the US NSA have yet commented on the latest information.
Edward Snowden accused the US president, Joe Biden, of being “ deeply involved in this scandal from the first time. ”
Biden was the vice president of the United States when the alleged surveillance of European leaders occurred.
“ There should have been an explicit demand that everything be made public not only from Denmark, but from its strongest ally as well ”, wrote Snowden on Twitter.
Who is Edward Snowden
Former external analyst of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States , Edward Snowden leaked to the media details of the extensive surveillance of the internet and telephone communications carried out by US intelligence.
He was then charged in the United States with theft of government assets, communication unauthorized information on national defense and disclosure classified intelligence communications volunteer.
Snowden took refuge in the Russia of Vladimir Putin, a great rival of the United States.
Before the Snowden leak, high US intelligence officials had publicly repeated that the NSA had never knowingly collected information from private phone records.
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