France yesterday summoned the US ambassador to explain allegations by pro-transparency group WikiLeaks of what French President Francois Hollande branded “unacceptable” spying on successive French leaders.
The latest revelations of espionage among Western allies come after it emerged the US National Security Agency (NSA) had spied on Germany and that Germany’s own BND intelligence agency had cooperated with the NSA to spy on officials and companies elsewhere in Europe.
Hollande held an emergency meeting of his ministers and military commanders after revelations the NSA had spied on the last three French presidents.
French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said a senior French intelligence official would be dispatched to the US to confirm the spying is over.
“France will not tolerate actions that threaten its security and the protection of its interests,” a statement from the president’s office said, adding that it was not the first time that allegations of US spying on French interests had surfaced. “Commitments were made by the US authorities. They need to be recalled and strictly respected.”
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the US ambassador.
After meeting Hollande, lawmakers told reporters the French leader had informed them he would speak with US President Barack Obama later in the day.
A statement from the US National Security Council said it was not targeting and would not target Hollande’s communications, but did not say whether spying had taken place in the past.
“We have to verify this spying has finished,” Le Foll told reporters, adding that ministers were told to be careful when speaking on their mobile phones. “Between allies this is unacceptable and incomprehensible. France does not spy on its allies.”
While Paris and Washington have good ties in general, UN Security Council veto-holder France fiercely maintains its independence on foreign policy, and over the past two years, there have been moments of friction and irritation on both sides.
Hollande was disappointed by Obama’s last-minute decision not to strike Syrian government positions in 2013.
US officials have frequently, in private, lambasted France’s tough stance in talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
The revelations were first reported by French daily Liberation and on news Web site Mediapart, which said the NSA spied on former French presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as Hollande from at least 2006 until May 2012.
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