Danish Intelligence Helped US Spy on European Leaders

By Staff, Agencies 

Several European media organizations published an investigation Sunday which shows that the Danish secret service helped the United States' National Security Agency [NSA] to spy on European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Although the disclosures about America's spying on its European allies first came to light during former President Barack Obama's tenure in 2013, it is only now that journalists have gained access to reports detailing the support given to the NSA by the Danish Defense Intelligence Service [FE].

Germany and its immediate northern neighbor Denmark are close allies, so it came as quite a surprise to acknowledge the disclosure about such high-level political targets.

Neither Merkel nor Steinmeier had "any knowledge" of the spying operations carried out by leading Danish government officials. A spokesperson said that the chancellor had been informed of the revelations, according to DW.

Information began to be collected following revelations from former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden between 2012 and 2014.

In addition to leading politicians in Germany, Danish agents also collected information on public figures in Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and France.

The investigation also revealed that the FE aided US intelligence services to spy on the US government itself.

In 2020, upon discovering the extent of the Danish secret service's operations, the Copenhagen government forced the organization's entire leadership to step down.