Obama and Merkel: A Spying Scandal
After German media alleged President Obama was personally briefed about the monitoring of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone conversations and that the surveillance may have lasted for 10 years, the National Security Agency (NSA) on Sunday backed Obama's claim that he wasn't aware of it.
"General Alexander did not discuss with President Obama in 2010 an alleged foreign intelligence operation involving German Chancellor Merkel, nor has he ever discussed alleged operations involving Chancellor Merkel. News reports claiming otherwise are not true," the NSA said in a statement Sunday.
On Saturday, German tabloid Bild am Sonntag said Gen. Alexander, head of the NSA and the United States Cyber Command, briefed Obama about bugging of Merkel's phone in 2010 and that the U.S president allowed it to continue.