14 DAY TRIAL // The US isn’t the only one spying on Germany’s Angela Merkel, but also the United Kingdom, a new report indicates.
According to The Independent, who cites documents from the Snowden stash, Britain has been snooping on the Germany through its Berlin embassy which is set quite close to the Bundestag and Merkel’s office.
The revelations are corroborated by satellite photographs and other information about past spying activities, as well as of high-tech listening devices set on top of the British embassy. Pictures reveal the roof of building hosts a white structure, similar to a box that can only be seen from above.
It seems that the device could actually be listening equipment that was mounted on the roof when the embassy opened up in 2000. Assessments indicate it can intercept mobile phone conversations, Wi-Fi traffic and long-distance calls made from anywhere in Berlin.
“If GCHQ runs a listening post on the top of the UK’s Berlin embassy, it is clearly targeting politicians and journalists. Do these people pose a threat? The EU has asked David Cameron’s Government to explain the activities of GCHQ in Europe but it has declined to do so, saying it does not comment on activities in the interest of national security. This is hardly in the spirit of European co-operation. We are not enemies,” said Jan Albrecht, a member of the German parliament.
As a response, the spokesperson of the British prime minister said there would be no comments on intelligence questions. GCHQ officials also refused to comment on the situation, although that doesn’t come as a surprise given its general attitude over the past months.
Documents leaked by Edward Snowden have so far indicated that numerous US embassies across the world play the double role of spy centers. It seems that the NSA passed on some of its power to the GCHQ a few years back, which explains the involvement of the British embassy in this entire story.