Germany is planning to begin counter-intelligence operations against allied nations amid recent espionage scandals, officials told media on Thursday.
Germany’s Chancellery and ministries for defense and foreign affairs have agreed to change the current counter-intelligence policies and practices, and secret services will soon start surveillance of suspected activities of allied countries inside Germany, Sueddeutsche Zeitung daily reported.
“We now have to give a strong signal,” the daily quoted a high ranking official as saying, referring to the failing patience of Germany for widespread U.S. intelligence activities targeting German politicians and institutions.
Earlier in July, German authorities revealed that two German officials working for the Defense Ministry and the secret service BND had carried out espionage activities in their institutions in the last two years and passed over secret information to the U.S. secret services.
The top CIA official had to leave Germany on July 17, following the request from the German government.
U.S.-Germany relations already suffered significant damage late 2013 after the alleged surveillance of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s mobile phone by the U.S.' National Security Agency, or NSA.
Following the NSA scandal German ministries started a review of their counter-intelligence activities and began discussing whether to expand these measures to allies including the U.S.
According to the German security sources, counter-intelligence operations of German agencies had long focused on the activities of Russian, Chinese, Iranian and North Korean intelligence agencies in Germany, while surveillance of friendly nations, including U.S., France or Britain had long been a “taboo."
German media reported on Thursday that following the latest espionage scandal, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government has decided to extend counter-intelligence operations to allied nations and from now on have a "360 degree view."
But sources underlined that the measures would be defensive in nature and focus on surveillance in Germany to prevent intelligence activities targeting German politicians and institutions. BND is not planning to carry out intelligence in the U.S., sources told daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
The BND officer who is currently under custody for suspected espionage activities for the U.S. secret service reportedly contacted with the U.S. Embassy in Berlin through e-mail communication.
As part of new counter-intelligence measures, Germany’s intelligence organizations are expected to carry out surveillance activities targeting communication of embassies and consulates of friendly states and activities of their employees.
German media reported earlier that NSA’s suspected surveillance operation in Germany, which also targeted Chancellor Merkel’s private phone, was controlled from a special facility at the U.S. embassy building in Berlin which is only a kilometer from the Chancellery.
NSA’s suspected monitoring of Merkel’s mobile phone was uncovered late last year by the German news magazine Der Spiegel. An examination of the top secret files leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden showed that the German chancellor was on a list of people targeted by NSA.
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