00:47USA: Obama spokesman denies tapping Merkel phone
USA: Obama spokesman denies tapping Merkel phone
White House spokesman Jay Carney denied allegations that US intelligence is tapping the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press briefing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
"All I can tell you is what the President told the Chancellor," said Mr. Carney. "The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the Chancellor."
"As we've said in the past, we gather foreign intelligence just like agencies of other countries. But we are working to, as the President has said, to review the way that we gather intelligence, to ensure that we balance the security concerns of our citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that everyone shares."
Chancellor Merkel was personally assured by President Obama during a phone conversation that the United States is not monitoring her communications, said Mr. Carney.
A statement from Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert quoted unnamed intelligence sources, which have gathered credible evidence that interception of phone communications may have occurred. German magazine Der Spiegel reported on the allegations, which are based on disclosures from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.
00:47USA: Obama spokesman denies tapping Merkel phone
White House spokesman Jay Carney denied allegations that US intelligence is tapping the mobile phone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a press briefing in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.
"All I can tell you is what the President told the Chancellor," said Mr. Carney. "The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the Chancellor."
"As we've said in the past, we gather foreign intelligence just like agencies of other countries. But we are working to, as the President has said, to review the way that we gather intelligence, to ensure that we balance the security concerns of our citizens and allies with the privacy concerns that everyone shares."
Chancellor Merkel was personally assured by President Obama during a phone conversation that the United States is not monitoring her communications, said Mr. Carney.
A statement from Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert quoted unnamed intelligence sources, which have gathered credible evidence that interception of phone communications may have occurred. German magazine Der Spiegel reported on the allegations, which are based on disclosures from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.